Some Hints for Quicker Turn Times

The appraisal profession is evolving constantly. Commonly, it seems, appraisers are asked to provide more information or have steps added to their research. All of this is to ensure their client receives the best information available. In order to keep up with the constantly changing requirements, Appraisal Management of Western Colorado is always seeking additional tools and improving processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our clients. At Appraisal Management of Western Colorado we know that time is important to everybody, so here are a few things you can do to accelerate the process on any appraisals ordered from Appraisal Management of Western Colorado.

Order your appraisals on the Internet.: When you order online, you automatically receive e-mail acknowledgements 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! We don't have to re-key information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether we got the request.
Complete and accurate subject property data is crucial.: There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to unnecessarily interrupt an appraisal assignment. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name are good data to include with your assignment. We even welcome lists of recent sales from the area — though be advised that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.
Let us know up front of the property's distinct details.: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter home. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how differing details contribute to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. When ordering your report, let us know if there are unique characteristics of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's had a recent addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's predisposed to flooding. While these are things that we'll find out on our own, knowing them early on makes your report arrive sooner.
What are you doing to make the homeowner of the home aware of what to expect?: One of the most inefficient steps of the appraisal process is setting an inspection date with the homeowner. We understand that a homeowner may be apprehensive with an unknown person looking in every square foot of their home, taking pictures, and making numerous notes. One common belief is that they have to make the place spotless before the appraiser comes by, having the thought that will increase the appraised value. So they reschedule the inspection until the house is cleaned.

Coming from you -- a person they have been working with on their loan -- a little information about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't increase their home's value one little bit, and likely go a long way toward trimming the time it takes to inspect a home. Please feel free to point your customers to this website, where we have lots of pages of useful information for homeowners and others regarding the appraisal process. Have them call us if they want to meet our staff and learn more about our services. And tell them it's to their advantage to set the appointment without delay!
Why not our website as a resource 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 or easier way to keep track of the status of your report.