Five Tips for Shorter Turn Times

The appraisal profession is always evolving. Regularly, it seems, appraisers are asked to offer more information or have steps added to their data gathering - all to guarantee their client is presented with the best analysis that can be achieved. In order to keep up with the continuously changing requirements, Fairway Appraisal Services is constantly seeking new tools and tweaking processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for quickly. Since Fairway Appraisal Services knows that time is important to everyone, we've listed some things you can do to hasten the process whenever you order an appraisal with Fairway Appraisal Services:

  1. Order your appraisals online. With online ordering, you receive automatic e-mail notifications that the order was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. Online ordering is the single biggest time saver available to both of us! No longer do we have to manually enter information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether we got the order.

  2. Make sure that the subject property data is accurate and complete. Being just one number off on the street address can really add unnecessary time to an appraisal assignment. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name are helpful data to include with the request. Even a list of recent sales from the area is welcome — however, remember that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours might differ from yours.

    3. If you have any questions about your property or an assignment we're working on for you, you're always free to contact us

  3. Be sure to tell us about the unique characteristics of this property. Cookie-cutter homes are relatively easy to appraise. What takes time is analyzing how unique characteristics add to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. At the time you order your report, be sure to let us know if there are unique details of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, and it's susceptible to flooding. These are things we would find out on our own anyway, and knowing them as early as possible is likely to make your report arrive quicker.

  4. Do the occupants know what to expect? One of the most tedious steps of the appraisal process is setting an appointment with the current homeowner. Many current homeowners are justifiably apprehensive with the notion that an unknown persons wants to come in their house, look around, and take copious notes. Many commonly think they must make the place spotless before the inspection, under the impression that will increase the appraised value . So they delay the appointment until they can get around to cleaning.

    Hearing from you -- a trusted party with whom they already have a business relationship -- some info about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't affect their home's value one bit, will help move the process along for everyone. Our website has numerous pages of helpful information about the appraisal process for homeowners. I encourage you to share it with your clients. Tell them to call us if they want to meet the staff and learn more about our services. Remind them it's in their interest to set the appointment soon!

  5. Use our website to keep track of your report's status. 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 can be viewed instantly online. There's no faster way to track your report's status.