Five Tips for Quicker Turn Times

The appraisal profession is evolving continuously. On a regular basis, it seems, appraisers are asked to provide extra information or have steps added to their process. All to ensure their client is presented with the best information available. In order to stay current with the always changing requirements, Norman Appraisal Services is always testing additional tools and improving processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our customers. At Norman Appraisal Services we know that time is important to everybody, so we've listed a couple of items you can do to accelerate the process on any appraisals you order from Norman Appraisal Services.

Are you ordering appraisals online?: When you order online, you receive automatic e-mail acknowledgements that the order was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. It's the single biggest time saver available to both of us! No longer do we have to retype information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether we got the order.
Make sure that the subject property information is accurate and complete.: Being just one number off 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 are great data to pass long with your assignment. We even welcome lists of recent sales from the area — 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 characteristics of the property that might make it unique?: Cookie-cutter houses are relatively easy to appraise. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how differing characteristics contribute 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 recently had an addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's prone to flooding. While these are things that we will find out on our own, knowing them sooner will likely make your report arrive faster.
Does the homeowner know what to expect?: One of the most tedious parts of the appraisal process is setting an appointment with the homeowner. Some current homeowners are justifiably apprehensive with the notion an outsider wants to come in their house, look around, and make lots of notes. With the idea that it will increase the appraised value, many homeowners feel they have to make the place spotless before the inspection. So they delay the appointment until the house is cleaned.

Coming from you -- a person they've been working with on their loan -- some 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 can decrease the time it takes to inspect a home. Please feel free to point your clients to our website, where we have several pages of helpful information for homeowners as well as others describing the appraisal process. Tell them to call us if they want to meet the staff and learn more about our services. And tell them it benefits them to set the appointment promptly!
Easily verify the status of your report on our website.: 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 each important milestone in an assignment is completed, that information is available instantly to you online. There's no faster or easier way to track your report's status.