Five Suggestions for Faster Turn Times

The appraisal profession is evolving at all times. On a regular basis, it seems, appraisers are asked to present more information or have steps added to their appraisal process. They do this extra work to guarantee their client receives the best data to be had. To stay current with the continuously changing requirements, New York Appraisal is continuously seeking new tools and tweaking processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for more efficiently. At New York Appraisal we know that time is important to everybody, so we've listed some items you can do to lower turn times whenever you order an appraisal with New York Appraisal.

Are you ordering appraisals online?: With online ordering, you get automatic e-mail acknowledgements that the request 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 retype information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether we received the request.
Are you providing complete and accurate data about the subject property?: There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to add unnecessary time to 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. We even welcome lists of recent sales from the area — though be advised that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours might differ from yours.
Are you letting us know up front any characteristics of the property that might make it distinct?: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter home. What takes time is analyzing how differing features 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 elements of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition put on, 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 as soon as possible is likely to make your report arrive sooner.
Do the occupants know what to expect?: Confirming an appointment with the homeowner can be one of the most tedious steps in the appraisal process. Some homeowners are understandably uncomfortable with the notion an unknown persons wants to come in their home, look around, and make lots of notes. One common belief is that they should make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection, with the notion that will make the house appraise for more money. And will choose to not schedule the inspection until they can get around to cleaning.

Coming directly from you -- someone they are working with on their loan -- a little info about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't increase their home's value one little bit, and likely shorten the time it takes to inspect a home. Please feel free to point them to our website, where we have lots of pages of helpful information for homeowners and others about the appraisal process. They can even call us if they want to meet our staff and learn more about our services. Remind them it's to their benefit 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 to you online. It's never been easier to keep track of your report's status.