A Few Tips for Swifter Turn Times

The appraisal profession is continuously evolving. Often, it seems, appraisers are asked to include extra information or have steps added to their data gathering. They do this extra work to guarantee the end user is presented with the best information available. To keep up with the continuously changing requirements, Austin Metropolitan Appraisal Group, Inc. is constantly researching new tools and improving processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for you. Since Austin Metropolitan Appraisal Group, Inc. knows that time is important to everyone, here are a few items you can do to speed up the process whenever you order an appraisal from Austin Metropolitan Appraisal Group, Inc..

Are you ordering appraisals online?: When you order online, you receive automatic e-mail acknowledgements that the request 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 retype information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether we got the request.
Are you providing complete and accurate information about the subject property?: 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 is great information to pass long with the request. Even a list of recent sales in the area is welcome — 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.
Are you letting us know up front any details of the property that might make it unique?: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter house. 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. Let us know up front when you order your report if there are unique characteristics of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition built on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's prone to flooding. These are things we'd find out on our own anyway, and knowing them sooner makes your report arrive more quickly.
Set proper expectations with the occupants.: One of the most inefficient steps of the appraisal process is setting an inspection date with the current homeowner. Many current homeowners are justifiably uneasy with the idea an unknown persons wants to come in their house, look around, and take lots of notes. With the idea that it will make the house appraise for more money, some homeowners feel they have to make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection. And will reschedule the appointment until they can get around to cleaning.

Coming from you -- a person 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 can shorten the time it takes to inspect a home. Our website has lots of pages of relevant information about the appraisal process for homeowners. I encourage you to share it with your customers. Encourage them to call us if they want to meet the staff and learn more about our services. Remind them it's to their advantage to set the appointment quickly!
Easily verify the status of your report on our website.: Phone and fax tag are a thing of the past with up-to-the-minute status updates available online, anytime, 24/7. As each important milestone in an assignment is completed, that information is available to you online. There's no faster or easier way to keep track of your report's status.