Five Suggestions for Quicker Turn Times

The appraisal profession is constantly evolving. On a regular basis, it seems, appraisers are asked to present additional information or have steps added to their research. All to ensure their client receives the best data possible. To keep up with the constantly changing requirements, Willamette Valley Appraisal Professionals is continuously testing new tools and improving processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for you. At Willamette Valley Appraisal Professionals we know that time is important to everybody, so we've listed a few items you can do to accelerate the process when you order an appraisal with Willamette Valley Appraisal Professionals.

Are you ordering appraisals online?: By ordering online, you automatically get e-mail confirmations that the order was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. It's 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.
Complete and accurate subject property data is crucial.: Having just one number incorrect on the street address can really add unnecessary time to 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 from the area — remember, however, that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may be different from yours.
Are you telling us up front any elements of the property that might make it unique?: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter house. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how unique elements contribute 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 features 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. These are things we'll find out on our own anyway, and knowing them as soon as possible makes your report arrive faster.
Does the homeowner know what to expect?: Confirming an inspection time and date with the homeowner can be one of the most inefficient steps in the appraisal process. Some current homeowners are justifiably uneasy with the fact an outsider wants to come in their home, look around, and make lots of notes. Many commonly think they need to make the place spotless before the appraiser comes by, thinking that will make the house appraise higher. And will delay the inspection until they can get around to cleaning.

Coming from you -- someone they have 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. I encourage you to point them to this website, where we have many pages of helpful information for homeowners as well as others about the appraisal process. Advise them to call us if they want to become familiar with the staff and our services. Remind them it's to their advantage to set the appointment without delay!
Our website is a great resource for following 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 is available instantly to you online. It's never been faster to keep track of your report's status.