Five Hints for Faster Turn Times

Appraising is a constantly changing profession. Regularly, it seems, appraisers are asked to supply additional information or have steps added to their process. All of this is to guarantee the end user is presented with the best information possible. To stay current with the always changing requirements, Century Appraising Services is always testing additional tools and tweaking processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for you. Since Century Appraising Services knows that time is important to everyone, below are some tips you can do to hasten the process on any appraisals you order from Century Appraising Services.

Order your appraisals online.: With online ordering, you automatically receive e-mail confirmations that the request was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This tip alone will save the most time! No longer do we have to retype information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether we received the request.
Confirm that the subject property information is accurate and complete.: Having just one number incorrect on the street address can really unnecessarily slow down an appraisal assignment. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name is great information to include with the assignment. Even a list of recent sales from the area is welcome — remember, however, that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.
Are you telling us up front any details of the property that might make it unique?: Cookie-cutter homes are relatively easy to appraise. What takes time is analyzing how differing elements contribute to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. When ordering your report, let us know if there are unique details 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'll find out on our own anyway, and knowing them sooner will likely make your report arrive earlier.
Do the occupants know what to expect?: Confirming an appointment with the homeowner can be one of the most inefficient steps in the appraisal process. It's understandable for a homeowner to be uneasy with an outsider inspecting every corner of their home, taking photos, and making numerous notes. Believing that it will increase the value, a few homeowners feel they have to make the place spotless before the inspection. So they reschedule the appraisal inspection until the house is cleaned.

Hearing it directly from you -- the person they've been working with on their loan -- a little bit about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't change their home's value one little bit, and likely decrease the time it takes to inspect a home. Our website has many pages of helpful information about the appraisal process for homeowners. Please feel free to share it with your clients. Tell them to call us if they want to meet our staff and learn more about our services. And tell them it's to their benefit to set the appointment without delay!
Use our website to verify your report's status.: Phone and fax tag are a thing of the past with 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.