5 Tips for Shorter Turn Times

Appraising is an always changing profession. Regularly, it seems, appraisers are asked to offer more information or have steps added to their process. All of this is to ensure the end user receives the best information available. To keep up with the continuously changing requirements, Race Appraisal Services, LLC is constantly researching additional tools and improving processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for in less time. At Race Appraisal Services, LLC we know that time is important to everybody, so here are a few items you can do to lessen turn times on any appraisals ordered from Race Appraisal Services, LLC.

Order your appraisals on the Internet.

When you order online, you receive automatic e-mail confirmations that the request was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This is the single biggest time saver available to both of us! No longer do we have to retype information from a fax, and nor will you 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. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name are helpful data to pass long with your request. 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.

You're always welcome to contact us if you have any questions about your property or an appraisal we're working on for you.

Tell us up front of the property's distinct details.

It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter home. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how details unique to a property add to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. When ordering your report, let us know if there are unique elements of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's susceptible to flooding. These are things we would find out on our own anyway, and knowing them as soon as possible will likely make your report arrive quicker.

Set proper expectations with the homeowner.

One of the most inefficient tasks of the appraisal process is confirming an inspection date with the current homeowner. Some current homeowners are understandably apprehensive with the idea a stranger wants to come in their home, look around, and take abundant notes. With the belief that it will increase the value, a few homeowners believe they have to make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection. And will reschedule the appointment until it is cleaned.

Hearing from you -- someone they are working with on their loan -- some info about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't change their home's value one little bit, and can decrease the appraisal inspection time. Please feel free to point them to this website, where we have multiple pages of useful information for homeowners as well as others describing the appraisal process. Tell them to call us if they want to meet our staff and learn more about our services. Remind them it benefits them to set the appointment without delay!

Our website is a great resource for following 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 easier to keep track of your report's status.