Some Steps to Swifter Turn Times

Appraising is an always changing profession. Commonly, it seems, appraisers are asked to offer extra information or have steps added to their research. They do this additional work to ensure the end user is presented with the best data possible. In order to stay current with the constantly changing requirements, Hill Country Valuations LLC is constantly acquiring additional tools and improving processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for quickly. Since Hill Country Valuations LLC knows that time is important to everyone, we've listed a couple of items you can do to lessen turn times when you order an appraisal from Hill Country Valuations LLC.

Are you ordering appraisals online?: By ordering online, you get automatic e-mail notifications that the request was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This tip alone will save the most time! We don't have to retype information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether we got the order.
Are you providing complete and accurate information about the subject property?: Being just one number off on the street address can really unnecessarily interrupt 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 from the area is welcome — remember, however, that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours might differ from yours.
Are you telling us up front any details of the property that might make it unique?: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter home. What takes time is analyzing how details unique to a property add to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. When ordering your report, let us know if there are unique elements of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's had a recent addition put on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's predisposed to flooding. While these are things that we will find out on our own, knowing them as early as possible makes your report arrive more quickly.
Let the homeowner know what to expect.: One of the most inefficient parts of the appraisal process is confirming an appointment with the occupants of the home. It's understandable for a homeowner to be uncomfortable with an outsider looking in every square foot of their home, taking photos, and making abundant notes. With the belief that it will increase the appraised value, many homeowners believe they ought to make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection. So they put off the inspection until it is cleaned.

Coming from you -- the person they've been working with on their loan -- some knowledge about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't make it more likely their sale will close, and can go a long way toward trimming the time it takes to inspect a home. Please feel free to point them to our website, where we have multiple pages of helpful information for homeowners and others regarding the appraisal process. Encourage them to call us if they want to become familiar with our staff and services. And tell them it benefits them to set the appointment quickly!
Are you using our website as a resource to track the status of your report?: 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 can be viewed instantly online. It's never been easier to track your report's status.