Some Suggestions for Swifter Turn Times

Appraising is a constantly changing profession. Commonly, it seems, appraisers are asked to present additional information or have steps added to their process - all to ensure the end user receives the most useful data possible. To keep up with the continuously changing requirements, Advantage Appraisal Services, LLC is constantly seeking additional tools and tweaking processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for in less time. Since Advantage Appraisal Services, LLC knows that time is important to everyone, we've listed some things you can do to decrease turn times on any appraisals you order from Advantage Appraisal Services, LLC:

Order your appraisals on the Internet. By ordering online, you automatically receive e-mail notifications that the assignment 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 re-key information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether the order was received.
Are you providing complete and accurate data about the subject property? 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 area sales is welcome — however, remember that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.


	You're always free to call us at 208-782-0232 if you have any questions about your property or an assignment we're working on for you.

Let us know up front of the property's distinct elements. It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter home. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how differing features contribute 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 details of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's had a recent addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, and it's prone to flooding. While these are things that we would find out on our own, knowing them early on makes your report arrive sooner.
Let the occupants know what to expect. One of the most inefficient steps of the appraisal process is confirming an inspection date with the occupants of the home. Some homeowners are understandably uneasy with the thought that an unknown persons wants to come in their house, look around, and take copious notes. Believing that it will make the house appraise higher, some homeowners think they need to make the place spotless before the inspection and will reschedule the appointment until it is cleaned.

Hearing it directly from you -- a trusted party with whom they are already working -- a little knowledge about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't affect their home's value one bit, will help move the process along for everyone. I encourage you to point your clients to this website, where we have many pages of helpful information for homeowners and others regarding the appraisal process. Advise them to call us if they want to meet the staff and learn more about our services. And tell them it's to their benefit to set the appointment soon!
Are you using our website as a resource to keep track of the status of your report? No more phone and fax tag. Up-to-the-minute status updates are available online, anytime, 24/7. As each important milestone in an assignment is completed, that information can be viewed instantly online. It's never been easier to keep track of your report's status.