5 Suggestions for Shorter Turn Times

Appraising is an always changing profession. Often, it seems, appraisers are asked to present additional information or have steps added to their appraisal process - all to guarantee the end user is presented with the most useful analysis possible. In order to keep up with the constantly changing requirements, Integrity Appraisal Service LLC is always acquiring new tools and improving processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our clients. At Integrity Appraisal Service LLC we know that time is important to everybody, so we've listed a handful of tips you can do to speed up the process when you order an appraisal with Integrity Appraisal Service LLC:

  1. 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. It's the single biggest time saver available to both of us! We don't have to manually enter information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether we got the request.

  2. 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 interrupt an appraisal assignment. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name are great data to include with the 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 differ from yours.

    3. If you have any questions about your property or an assignment we're working on for you, don't hesitate to contact us

  3. Are you telling us up front any details of the property that might make it unique? It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter home. What takes time is analyzing how unique details contribute to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. At the time you order your report, be sure to 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, and it's predisposed to flooding. These are things we would find out on our own anyway, and knowing them as soon as possible will likely make your report arrive earlier.

  4. Did you make the occupants of the home aware of what to expect? Setting an inspection time and date with the homeowner can be one of the most time consuming tasks in the appraisal process. It's understandable for a homeowner to be apprehensive with an unknown person inspecting every corner of their home, taking pictures, and making numerous notes. Not uncommonly they think they should make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection, having the thought that will make the house appraise higher . So they put off the appointment until they can get around to cleaning.

    Coming from you -- a trusted party with whom they are already working -- a little bit about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't affect their home's value one bit, will help move the process along for everyone. Our website has numerous pages of relevant information about the appraisal process for homeowners. I encourage you to share it with your clients. Encourage them to call us if they want to meet the staff and learn more about our services. Remind them it benefits them to set the appointment as soon as possible!

  5. Our website is a great resource for keeping tabs on your report's status. Why are you still playing phone and fax tag when our website offers 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.