A Few Hints for Shorter Turn Times

The appraisal profession is evolving constantly. Regularly, it seems, appraisers are asked to present additional information or have steps added to their process. All of this is to ensure the end user receives the best information possible. In order to stay current with the continuously changing requirements, Crawford Romans Appraisal Services is always acquiring additional tools and tweaking processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for you. Since Crawford Romans Appraisal Services knows that time is important to everyone, we've listed some items you can do to trim turn times whenever you order an appraisal with Crawford Romans Appraisal Services.

Are you ordering appraisals online?: With online ordering, you get automatic 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 manually enter information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether the order was received.
Are you providing complete and accurate information about the subject property?: There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to 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. 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 might differ from yours.
Tell us up front of the property's unique characteristics.: Cookie-cutter houses are relatively easy to appraise. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how unique details add to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. When you order your report, let us know if there are unique elements of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's prone to flooding. While these are things that we'd find out on our own, knowing them early on is likely to make your report arrive without delay.
Does the homeowner know what to expect?: Confirming an inspection time and date with the homeowner can be one of the most inefficient tasks in the appraisal process. Many homeowners are understandably uncomfortable with the idea an outsider wants to come in their house, look around, and take abundant notes. Many commonly think they have to make the place spotless before the appraiser comes by, having the thought that will increase the appraised value. So they choose to not schedule the appointment until they can get around to cleaning.

Coming directly from you -- a person they are 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. Please feel free to point your clients to this website, where we have several pages of helpful information for homeowners as well as others about the appraisal process. Advise them to 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!
Easily keep tabs on the status of your report on our website.: 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 we complete each important milestone in an assignment, that information can be viewed instantly online. It's never been faster and easier to keep track of your report's status.