5 Steps to Quicker Turn Times

Appraising is a constantly changing profession. Regularly, it seems, appraisers are asked to offer additional information or have steps added to their appraisal process. All to guarantee their client gets the best information available. In order to keep up with the always changing requirements, Lundquist Appraisals & Real Estate Services is constantly testing new tools and improving processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for more effectively. Since Lundquist Appraisals & Real Estate Services knows that time is important to everyone, here are a few items you can do to speed up the process on any appraisals you order from Lundquist Appraisals & Real Estate Services.

Order your appraisals electronically.: By ordering online, you automatically get e-mail acknowledgements that the assignment was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This tip single-handedly will save the most time! No longer do we have to manually enter information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether we got the request.
Make sure 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. 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 are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.
Be sure to tell us about the property's distinct characteristics.: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter house. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how differing details add 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 features 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 early on will likely make your report arrive more quickly.
Let the occupants know what to expect.: One of the most inefficient tasks of the appraisal process is setting an inspection date with the current homeowner. Many current homeowners are clearly uneasy with the notion an outsider wants to come in their home, look around, and make abundant notes. With the belief that it will increase the value, a few homeowners believe they should make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection. So they choose to not schedule the inspection until it is cleaned.

Hearing it directly from you -- the person they are working with on their loan -- a little 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 shorten the time it takes to inspect a home. Please feel free to point them to our website, where we have lots of pages of relevant information for homeowners and others describing the appraisal process. Have them call us if they want to familiarize themselves with the staff and our services. Remind them it benefits them to set the appointment without delay!
Why not our website as a resource to keep track of the status of your report?: 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 is available to you online. It's never been faster and easier to track the status of your report.