Five Tips for Quicker Turn Times

The appraisal profession is evolving constantly. Regularly, it seems, appraisers are asked to supply more information or have steps added to their data gathering. They do this extra work to ensure the end user gets the best data possible. In order to stay current with the always changing requirements, Bayou State Appraisals, LLC is constantly testing additional tools and tweaking processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for you. Since Bayou State Appraisals, LLC knows that time is important to everyone, we've listed a couple of things you can do to speed up the process whenever you order an appraisal from Bayou State Appraisals, LLC.

Are you ordering appraisals online?: With online ordering, you receive automatic e-mail acknowledgements that the order was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. Ordering online is the single biggest time saver available to both of us! We don't have to manually enter information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether we received the order.
Complete and accurate subject property data 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 is good information to include with your assignment. 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 may 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. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how unique characteristics 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 details of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition built 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 sooner will likely make your report arrive faster.
Did you make the homeowner of the home aware of what to expect?: Confirming an inspection time and date with the homeowner can be one of the most time consuming steps in the appraisal process. It's understandable for a homeowner to be uneasy with a stranger inspecting every corner of their home, taking pictures, and making copious notes. Under the impression that it will increase the value, a few homeowners feel they ought to make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection. So they reschedule the appraisal inspection until it is cleaned.

Coming from you -- someone they've been working with on their loan -- some info 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 decrease the appraisal inspection time. Our website has many pages of relevant information about the appraisal process for homeowners. I encourage you to share it with your customers. They can even call us if they want to meet our staff and learn more about our services. And tell them it benefits them to set the appointment soon!
Our website is a great resource for tracking 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 is available to you online. It's never been easier to track your report's status.