A Few Hints for Faster Turn Times

The appraisal profession is evolving continuously. On a regular basis, it seems, appraisers are asked to offer additional information or have steps added to their process. They do this extra work to guarantee their client gets the most useful data. In order to keep up with the continuously changing requirements, Abandy & Associates Appraisal Services is always testing additional tools and improving processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for you. At Abandy & Associates Appraisal Services we know that time is important to everybody, so below are a few tips you can do to decrease turn times on any appraisals you order with Abandy & Associates Appraisal Services:

Are you ordering appraisals online? With online ordering, you receive automatic e-mail confirmations that the order was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. It's the single biggest time saver available to both of us! No longer do we have to manually enter information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether we received the order.
Verify that the subject property data is accurate and complete. 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 great information to include with your assignment. Even a list of recent area sales is welcome — though be advised that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.


	You're always welcome to call us at (909) 393-7049 if you have any questions about your property or a job we're working on for you.

Be sure to let us know about the unique characteristics of this property. It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter home. What takes time is analyzing how characteristics unique to a property 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 elements of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's had a recent addition built on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, and it's prone to flooding. While these are things that we would find out on our own, knowing them sooner makes your report arrive without delay.
Does the homeowner know what to expect? One of the most inefficient tasks of the appraisal process is confirming an inspection date with the current homeowner. Many current homeowners are clearly uncomfortable with the idea that an outsider wants to come in their house, look around, and make lots of notes. With the idea that it will increase the appraised value, a few homeowners feel they must make the place spotless before the inspection . So they put off the appointment until they have cleaned.

Coming from you -- a trusted party with whom they are already working -- a little knowledge about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't make a significant difference in their home's value, will help move the process along for everyone. I encourage you to point your clients to our website, where we have many pages of useful information for homeowners and others about the appraisal process. Encourage them to call us if they want to familiarize themselves with our staff and services. And tell them it benefits them to set the appointment soon!
Use our website to keep track of 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 we complete each important milestone in an assignment, that information can be viewed instantly online. It's never been easier to track the status of your report.