A Few Tips for Shorter Turn Times

The appraisal profession is continuously evolving. Regularly, it seems, appraisers are asked to offer extra information or have steps added to their data gathering. All to ensure the end user receives the best data available. To stay current with the always changing requirements, Triangle Residential Valuations is always seeking additional tools and improving processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our customers. Since Triangle Residential Valuations knows that time is important to everyone, we've listed a couple of items you can do to reduce turn times on any appraisals ordered with Triangle Residential Valuations.

Are you ordering appraisals online?: When you order online, you automatically get e-mail notifications that the order 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 the order was received.
Complete and accurate subject property information is essential.: Having just one number incorrect on the street address can really add unnecessary time to 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 area sales is welcome — though be advised that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.
Be sure to tell us about the property's unique details.: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter house. What takes time is analyzing how differing characteristics contribute to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. Let us know up front when ordering your report if there are unique characteristics of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition built on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's susceptible to flooding. While these are things that we'd find out on our own, knowing them sooner makes your report arrive more quickly.
Let the homeowner know what to expect.: Setting an inspection time and date with the homeowner can be one of the most tedious steps in the appraisal process. It's understandable for a homeowner to be uncomfortable with an unknown person looking in every corner of their home, taking photos, and making lots of notes. Having the thought that it will increase the value, many homeowners feel they have to make the place spotless before the inspection. And will delay the inspection until the house is cleaned.

Coming from you -- a person they've been working with on their loan -- some information about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't affect their home's value one little bit, and likely shorten the time it takes to inspect a home. Our website has many pages of helpful information about the appraisal process for homeowners. I encourage you to share it with your customers. They can even call us if they want to meet our staff and learn more about our services. And tell them it's in their interest to set the appointment soon!
Our website is a great resource for verifying 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 is available instantly to you online. There's no faster way to track your report's status.