Five Hints for Swifter Turn Times

The appraisal profession is always evolving. On a regular basis, it seems, appraisers are asked to offer extra information or have steps added to their appraisal process. All of this is to guarantee the end user receives the best information to be had. In order to keep up with the always changing requirements, Kiesz & Associates, LLC is always seeking new tools and tweaking processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for in less time. At Kiesz & Associates, LLC we know that time is important to everybody, so below are some tips you can do to trim turn times every time you order an appraisal with Kiesz & Associates, LLC.

Order your appraisals online.: With online ordering, you automatically receive e-mail notifications that the assignment was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. It's the single biggest time saver available to both of us! We don't have to retype information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether the order was received.
Complete and accurate subject property data is crucial.: There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to unnecessarily slow down an appraisal assignment. And if you have a tax parcel number, plat map number, subdivision name or anything else that uniquely identifies the property, please pass it along. Even a list of recent sales in the area is welcome — remember, however, that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may be different from yours.
Tell us up front of the property's unique elements.: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter house. What takes time is analyzing how differing features add to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. Let us know up front when you order your report 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'd find out on our own, knowing them as soon as possible is likely to make your report arrive quicker.
Let the occupants know what to expect.: One of the most time consuming parts of the appraisal process is setting an appointment with the current homeowner. It's understandable for a homeowner to be uneasy with a stranger inspecting every square foot of their home, taking pictures, and making copious notes. Believing that it will increase the value, some homeowners feel they need to make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection. So they reschedule the appointment until they have cleaned.

Coming from you -- someone 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 can decrease the time it takes to inspect a home. Our website has several pages of useful information about the appraisal process for homeowners. I encourage you to share it with your clients. Have them 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!
Are you using our website as a resource to follow your report's status?: 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 can be viewed instantly online. It's never been easier to track your report's status.