Five Hints for Swifter Turn Times

The appraisal profession is always evolving. Regularly, it seems, appraisers are asked to offer extra information or have steps added to their process - all to guarantee their client gets the best data. To keep up with the always changing requirements, Northeastern Ohio Appraisal Services is always researching additional tools and tweaking processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our customers. At Northeastern Ohio Appraisal Services we know that time is important to everybody, so we've listed some items you can do to speed up the process on any appraisals you order with Northeastern Ohio Appraisal Services:

Are you ordering appraisals online? With online ordering, you get automatic e-mail confirmations that the assignment was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. Ordering online is the single biggest time saver available to both of us! No longer do we have to re-key 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? Having just one number incorrect on the street address can really add unnecessary time to an appraisal assignment. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name are good data to include with the assignment. We even welcome lists of recent sales in the area — though be advised that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.


	Feel free to call us at 330-770-7766 if you have any questions about your property or an appraisal we're working on for you.

Are you telling us up front any characteristics of the property that might make it unique? Cookie-cutter houses are relatively easy to appraise. What takes time is analyzing how unique details 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 had a recent addition put on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, and it's susceptible to flooding. These are things we will find out on our own anyway, and knowing them as soon as possible makes your report arrive more quickly.
Set proper expectations with the homeowner. Confirming an appointment with the homeowner can be one of the most time consuming parts in the appraisal process. Some current homeowners are clearly uneasy with the notion that an unknown persons wants to come in their home, look around, and take copious notes. With the idea that it will make the house appraise for more money, many homeowners feel they must make the place spotless before the inspection and will reschedule the appointment until the house is cleaned.

Coming directly from you -- a trusted party with whom they already have a business relationship -- some knowledge about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't increase their home's value one bit, will help move the process along for everyone. I encourage you to point your customers to this website, where we have lots of pages of relevant information for homeowners as well as others about the appraisal process. Encourage them to call us if they want to meet our staff and learn more about our services. And tell them it's in their interest to set the appointment soon!
Why not use our website as a resource to keep tabs on your report's status? 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 is instantly available to you online. It's never been faster to keep track of the status of your report.