Five Hints for Shorter Turn Times

The appraisal profession is evolving at all times. Commonly, it seems, appraisers are asked to include additional information or have steps added to their research. They do this extra work to ensure their client receives the best information that can be achieved. To keep up with the always changing requirements, Lakeshore Appraisals is continuously seeking new tools and tweaking processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for you. Since Lakeshore Appraisals knows that time is important to everyone, here are a couple of items you can do to lessen turn times on any appraisals ordered with Lakeshore Appraisals:

Order your appraisals on the Internet. By ordering online, you automatically receive e-mail notifications 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 you don't have to wonder whether we got the order.
Are you providing complete and accurate information about the subject property? There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to add unnecessary time to an appraisal assignment. And if you have a tax parcel number, plat map number, subdivision name or anything else that uniquely identifies the property, please pass it along. We even welcome lists of recent sales in the area — though be advised that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may be different from yours.


	If you have any questions about your property or a job we're working on for you, don't hesitate to contact us

Are you letting us know up front any characteristics of the property that might make it distinct? Cookie-cutter homes are relatively easy to appraise. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how differing characteristics 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 prone to flooding. These are things we will find out on our own anyway, and knowing them as early as possible is likely to make your report arrive more quickly.
Do the occupants know what to expect? One of the most time consuming steps of the appraisal process is setting an inspection date with the current homeowner. Some homeowners are justifiably uneasy with the idea that a stranger wants to come in their house, look around, and take copious notes. Not uncommonly they think they need to make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection, under the impression that will increase the appraised value and will reschedule the appraisal inspection until it is cleaned.

Coming from you -- a trusted party with whom they already have a business relationship -- a little info 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 lots of pages of helpful 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 familiarize themselves with our staff and services. Remind them it's to their advantage to set the appointment soon!
Are you using our website as a resource 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 each important milestone in an assignment is completed, that information can be viewed instantly online. It's never been easier to track your report's status.