Five Hints for Swifter Turn Times

The appraisal profession is always evolving. Often, it seems, appraisers are asked to include more information or have steps added to their research - all to ensure their client receives the most useful analysis. To keep up with the constantly changing requirements, Associate Appraisers of America is always researching additional tools and tweaking processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for faster. Since Associate Appraisers of America knows that time is important to everyone, here are a few tips you can do to hasten the process each time you order an appraisal with Associate Appraisers of America:

Always order your appraisals online. With online ordering, you automatically get e-mail acknowledgements that the request was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This tip single-handedly will save the most time! We don't have to manually enter 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? 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 is great information to pass along with the assignment. We even welcome lists of recent sales in the area — however, remember that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours might differ from yours.


	If you have any questions about your property or an appraisal we're working on for you, don't hesitate to call us at (714) 897-3334

Tell us up front of the property's distinct elements. It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter house. What takes time is analyzing how differing elements 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 elements of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, and it's predisposed to flooding. While these are things that we will find out on our own, knowing them early on will likely make your report arrive more quickly.
Did you make the occupants of the home aware of what to expect? Confirming an appointment with the homeowner can be one of the most tedious tasks in the appraisal process. Some homeowners are clearly uneasy with the idea that an outsider wants to come in their home, look around, and take abundant notes. Some think they must make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection, with the notion that will increase the appraised value and will choose to not schedule the inspection until they can get around to cleaning.

Coming from you -- a trusted party with whom they are already working -- a short explanation about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't change their home's value one bit, will help move the process along for everyone. Our website has lots of pages of helpful information about the appraisal process for homeowners. I encourage you to share it with your customers. Have them call us if they want to familiarize themselves with our staff and services. Remind them it benefits them to set the appointment promptly!
Easily follow the status of your report on our website. No more phone and fax tag. Up-to-the-minute status updates are 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 and easier to keep track of your report's status.