Five Suggestions for Quicker Turn Times

The appraisal profession is constantly evolving. Each year, it seems, appraisers are asked to present extra information or have steps added to their data gathering. All to ensure their client gets the best information available. In order to keep up with the continuously changing requirements, Pacific Home Inspection & Appraisal is always acquiring additional tools and tweaking processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for you. Since Pacific Home Inspection & Appraisal knows that time is important to everyone, here are a few tips you can do to accelerate the process on any appraisals you order with Pacific Home Inspection & Appraisal.

Are you ordering appraisals online?: When you order online, you get automatic e-mail confirmations that the assignment was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This is the single biggest time saver available to both of us! No longer do we have to manually enter information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether the order was received.
Are you providing complete and accurate data about the subject property?: There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to unnecessarily slow down an appraisal assignment. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name is helpful information to include with the request. 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 be different from yours.
Are you telling us up front any elements of the property that might make it distinct?: Cookie-cutter homes are relatively easy to appraise. What takes time is analyzing how unique elements add to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. Let us know up front when you order your report if there are unique details of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's had a recent addition built on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's susceptible to flooding. These are things we'd find out on our own anyway, and knowing them early on makes your report arrive faster.
Set proper expectations with the occupants.: One of the most time consuming steps of the appraisal process is confirming an inspection date with the current homeowner. Some current homeowners are understandably uneasy with the fact an outsider wants to come in their home, look around, and take abundant notes. With the idea that it will increase the value, a few homeowners feel they have to make the place spotless before the appraiser comes by. So they reschedule the inspection until the house is cleaned.

Hearing from you -- someone they've been working with on their loan -- a little 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 shorten the appraisal inspection time. Our website has several pages of relevant information about the appraisal process for homeowners. I encourage you to share it with your customers. Advise them to call us if they want to meet our staff and learn more about our services. Remind them it benefits them to set the appointment quickly!
Our website is a great resource for verifying the status of your report.: No more phone and fax tag. Up-to-the-minute status updates are 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 track your report's status.