5 Tips for Faster Turn Times

The appraisal profession is evolving constantly. Often, it seems, appraisers are asked to offer additional information or have steps added to their research. All of this is to guarantee their client receives the best information available. In order to stay current with the constantly changing requirements, Stafford Appraisals is constantly acquiring additional tools and improving processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our clients. At Stafford Appraisals we know that time is important to everybody, so we've listed a few tips you can do to speed up the process on any appraisals ordered from Stafford Appraisals.

Are you ordering appraisals online?: By ordering online, you get automatic e-mail notifications that the assignment was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. It's the single biggest time saver available to both of us! We don't have to retype information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether the order was received.
Complete and accurate subject property information is key.: There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to add unnecessary time to an appraisal assignment. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name are helpful data to pass long with the assignment. We even welcome lists of recent sales from the area — remember, however, that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.
Are you telling us up front any elements of the property that might make it unique?: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter home. What takes time is analyzing how differing details add to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. Let us know up front when ordering your report if there are unique features of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's prone to flooding. While these are things that we'll find out on our own, knowing them sooner makes your report arrive earlier.
Be sure the homeowner knows the the plan.: One of the most tedious steps of the appraisal process is setting an inspection date with the occupants of the home. We understand that a homeowner may be apprehensive with an outsider inspecting every square foot of their home, taking photos, and making lots of notes. Many commonly think they should make the place spotless before the inspection, with the notion that will increase the value. So they put off the appraisal inspection until they have cleaned.

Hearing it directly from you -- someone they have been working with on their loan -- some information about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't make it more likely their sale will close, and can shorten the time it takes to inspect a home. Our website has several pages of helpful information about the appraisal process for homeowners. I encourage you to share it with your clients. Have them call us if they want to familiarize themselves with the staff and our services. And tell them it benefits them to set the appointment quickly!
Easily track the status of your report on our website.: No more phone and fax tag. Up-to-the-minute status updates are available online, anytime, 24/7. As each important milestone in an assignment is completed, that information is available to you online. It's never been easier to keep track of the status of your report.