Some Steps to Faster Turn Times

The appraisal profession is evolving at all times. Each year, it seems, appraisers are asked to supply more information or have steps added to their research. They do this additional work to guarantee their client receives the best information available. To stay current with the always changing requirements, The Caldwell Group is constantly researching new tools and tweaking processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for you. Since The Caldwell Group knows that time is important to everyone, below are some tips you can do to speed up the process on any appraisals ordered with The Caldwell Group.

Are you ordering appraisals online?: When you order online, you receive automatic e-mail acknowledgements that the assignment was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This tip single-handedly will save the most time! We don't have to re-key information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether we received the order.
Complete and accurate subject property data is essential.: 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 helpful information to include with your request. Even a list of recent area sales 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.
Tell us up front of the property's distinct features.: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter home. What takes time is 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 characteristics of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's had a recent addition constructed, 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 as early as possible makes your report arrive more quickly.
Set proper expectations with the occupants.: Setting an inspection time and date with the homeowner can be one of the most time consuming parts in the appraisal process. It's understandable for a homeowner to be uneasy with an outsider looking in every square foot of their home, taking pictures, and making abundant notes. With the notion that it will increase the value, many homeowners think they should make the place spotless before the inspection. So they reschedule the appraisal inspection until it is cleaned.

Hearing it directly from you -- a person they've been working with on their loan -- some knowledge 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 helpful information about the appraisal process for homeowners. I encourage you to share it with your clients. Have them call us if they want to familiarize themselves with the staff and our services. And tell them it's in their interest to set the appointment soon!
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 each important milestone in an assignment is completed, that information can be viewed instantly online. It's never been faster to track the status of your report.