5 Hints for Quicker Turn Times

Appraising is a constantly changing profession. Commonly, it seems, appraisers are asked to include extra information or have steps added to their appraisal process - all to guarantee the end user receives the most useful analysis. In order to stay current with the continuously changing requirements, Brumley Appraisal Services, Inc. is constantly researching additional tools and improving processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for faster. At Brumley Appraisal Services, Inc. we know that time is important to everybody, so we've listed a few tips you can do to accelerate the process on any appraisals ordered with Brumley Appraisal Services, Inc.:

Are you ordering appraisals online? With online ordering, you automatically receive e-mail acknowledgements that the assignment 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 manually enter information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether the order was received.
Complete and accurate subject property information is crucial. There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to add unnecessary time to an appraisal assignment. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name are helpful data to pass along with the request. Even a list of recent area sales is welcome — however, remember that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.


	If you have any questions about your property or an assignment we're working on for you, you're always welcome to contact us

Are you telling us up front any features of the property that might make it distinct? It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter home. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how features unique to a property 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 elements of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition built on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, and it's susceptible to flooding. These are things we'll find out on our own anyway, and knowing them as early as possible will likely make your report arrive sooner.
Set proper expectations with the homeowner. One of the most inefficient steps of the appraisal process is confirming an inspection date with the occupants of the home. Many current homeowners are clearly uneasy with the notion that a stranger wants to come in their home, look around, and make copious notes. Believing that it will increase the appraised value, some homeowners feel they need to make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection . So they put off the appraisal inspection until they have cleaned.

Coming from you -- a trusted party with whom they are already working -- some information about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't make a significant difference in their home's value, will help move the process along for everyone. I encourage you to point your customers to this website, where we have multiple pages of useful information for homeowners as well as others regarding the appraisal process. Have them call us if they want to become familiar with our staff and services. And tell them it benefits them to set the appointment as soon as possible!
Use our website to track 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 each important milestone in an assignment is completed, that information can be viewed instantly online. There's no faster way to keep track of your report's status.