5 Hints for Faster Turn Times

Appraising is a constantly changing profession. Often, it seems, appraisers are asked to provide additional information or have steps added to their data gathering. All to guarantee the end user has the best information possible. To stay current with the constantly changing requirements, Forney Appraisal Services, Inc. is always testing new tools and tweaking processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our customers. Since Forney Appraisal Services, Inc. knows that time is important to everyone, we've listed a couple of tips you can do to speed up the process whenever you order an appraisal from Forney Appraisal Services, Inc..

Order your appraisals on the Internet.: With online ordering, you receive automatic e-mail confirmations that the order was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. Online ordering is the single biggest time saver available to both of us! No longer do we have to manually enter information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether we got the request.
Complete and accurate subject property information is crucial.: 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 are helpful data to include with your request. 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 might differ from yours.
Tell us up front of the property's unique elements.: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter house. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how unique 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 characteristics of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition put on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's predisposed to flooding. While these are things that we would find out on our own, knowing them early on makes your report arrive without delay.
Does the homeowner know what to expect?: Confirming an inspection time and date with the homeowner can be one of the most inefficient steps in the appraisal process. Some homeowners are understandably uneasy with the fact a stranger wants to come in their house, look around, and make lots of notes. Thinking that it will increase the value, some homeowners feel they ought to make the place spotless before the inspection. So they choose to not schedule the appointment until they have cleaned.

Hearing from you -- the person they've been working with on their loan -- some info about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't make it more likely their sale will close, and can shorten the time it takes to inspect a home. Our website has multiple pages of useful information about the appraisal process for homeowners. Please feel free to share it with your clients. Have them call us if they want to familiarize themselves with the staff and our services. And tell them it's in their interest to set the appointment as soon as possible!
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 each important milestone in an assignment is completed, that information is available to you online. It's never been faster to track your report's status.