A Few Hints for Faster Turn Times

The appraisal profession is continuously evolving. Every year, it seems, appraisers are asked to present extra information or have steps added to their process. They do this additional work to ensure their client is presented with the best information available. To stay current with the continuously changing requirements, Crowe Appraisals is continuously seeking new tools and tweaking processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our customers. Since Crowe Appraisals knows that time is important to everyone, here are a few tips you can do to decrease turn times on any appraisals you order from Crowe Appraisals.

Are you ordering appraisals online?
By ordering online, you get automatic e-mail notifications that the order was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This tip single-handedly will save the most time! We don't have to retype information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether we got the order.
Complete and accurate subject property information is crucial.
Having just one number incorrect on the street address can really unnecessarily slow down an appraisal assignment. And if you have a tax parcel number, plat map number, subdivision name or anything else that uniquely identifies the property, please pass it along. We even welcome lists of recent sales in the area — though be advised that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may be different from yours.

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

Are you telling us up front any characteristics of the property that might make it unique?
Cookie-cutter homes are relatively easy to appraise. 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 you order your report, let us know if there are unique characteristics of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition put on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's susceptible to flooding. These are things we would find out on our own anyway, and knowing them sooner makes your report arrive quicker.
What are you doing to make the homeowner of the home aware of what to expect?
Confirming an inspection time and date with the homeowner can be one of the most inefficient steps in the appraisal process. Many homeowners are clearly uneasy with the notion an outsider wants to come in their house, look around, and take numerous notes. Many commonly think they have to make the place spotless before the inspection, with the notion that will increase the value. So they delay the appraisal inspection until the house is cleaned.

Coming directly from you -- someone they are working with on their loan -- some info 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 shorten the appraisal inspection time. Our website has multiple pages of relevant information about the appraisal process for homeowners. Please feel free to share it with your customers. They can even call us if they want to meet the staff and learn more about our services. Remind them it's to their benefit to set the appointment as quickly as possible!
Our website is a great resource for following the status of your report.
Phone and fax tag are a thing of the past with up-to-the-minute status updates available online, anytime, 24/7. As we complete each important milestone in an assignment, that information can be viewed instantly online. It's never been easier to keep track of your report's status.