Five Tips for Swifter Turn Times

Appraising is an always changing profession. Each year, it seems, appraisers are asked to include extra information or have steps added to their appraisal process. All of this is to guarantee the end user receives the best data available. In order to stay current with the always changing requirements, Crowe Appraisals is constantly testing additional tools and tweaking processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for you. At Crowe Appraisals we know that time is important to everybody, so we've listed some things you can do to lower turn times each time you order an appraisal from Crowe Appraisals.

Always order your appraisals electronically.: When you order online, you automatically get e-mail notifications that the assignment was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This tip alone will save the most time! No longer do we have to re-key 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 is great information to include with the assignment. We even welcome lists of recent sales from the area — though be advised 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 characteristics of the property that might make it unique?: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter home. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how unique characteristics 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 features of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's susceptible to flooding. These are things we'll find out on our own anyway, and knowing them early on makes your report arrive earlier.
Let the homeowner know what to expect.: Setting an appointment with the homeowner can be one of the most tedious parts in the appraisal process. We understand that a homeowner may be apprehensive with an unknown person looking in every corner of their home, taking photos, and making copious notes. With the idea that it will increase the appraised value, many homeowners think they should make the place spotless before the appraiser comes by. And will put off the appraisal inspection until it is cleaned.

Coming directly from you -- the person they have been working with on their loan -- some info about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't make it more likely their sale will close, and likely go a long way toward trimming the time it takes to inspect a home. Our website has lots of pages of useful information about the appraisal process for homeowners. Please feel free to share it with your customers. Have them call us if they want to become familiar with the staff and our services. And tell them it's to their benefit to set the appointment promptly!
Are you using 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 track your report's status.