A Few Tips for Faster Turn Times

The appraisal profession is constantly evolving. Often, it seems, appraisers are asked to present extra information or have steps added to their process. All to ensure their client gets the best information available. In order to stay current with the always changing requirements, Barnes Appraisal Company is constantly acquiring additional tools and tweaking processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our clients. Since Barnes Appraisal Company knows that time is important to everyone, here are a couple of items you can do to hasten the process whenever you order an appraisal from Barnes Appraisal Company.

Order your appraisals online.: By ordering online, you receive automatic e-mail confirmations that the order was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This tip single-handedly will save the most time! We don't have to retype information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether the order was received.
Make sure that the subject property data is accurate and complete.: 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 are good data to include with the assignment. 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.
Be sure to tell us about the unique details of this property.: Cookie-cutter houses are relatively easy to appraise. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how unique 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 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 susceptible to flooding. While these are things that we would find out on our own, knowing them sooner makes your report arrive sooner.
Set proper expectations with the occupants.: One of the most time consuming steps of the appraisal process is confirming an appointment with the current homeowner. We understand that a homeowner may be uneasy with an outsider inspecting every square foot of their home, taking photos, and making numerous notes. Believing that it will increase the value, many homeowners believe they must make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection. And will delay the inspection until they have cleaned.

Hearing from you -- the person 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 change their home's value one little bit, and likely go a long way toward trimming the time it takes to inspect a home. Our website has multiple pages of helpful information about the appraisal process for homeowners. Please feel free to share it with your customers. They can even call us if they want to familiarize themselves with our staff and services. And tell them it benefits them to set the appointment quickly!
Why not our website as a resource to verify 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 instantly available to you online. There's no faster way to track the status of your report.