A Few Steps to Swifter Turn Times

The appraisal profession is evolving continuously. Often, it seems, appraisers are asked to present additional information or have steps added to their data gathering. All of this is to guarantee their client is presented with the best information possible. In order to stay current with the constantly changing requirements, Willamette Valley Appraisal Professionals is continuously acquiring new tools and improving processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for you. Since Willamette Valley Appraisal Professionals knows that time is important to everyone, we've listed a handful of tips you can do to hasten the process on any appraisals ordered from Willamette Valley Appraisal Professionals.

Order your appraisals electronically.: When you order online, you automatically receive e-mail notifications 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! We don't have to re-key information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether the order was received.
Complete and accurate subject property information is key.: There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to unnecessarily slow down an appraisal assignment. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name is good information to pass long with your request. 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 details of the property that might make it distinct?: Cookie-cutter homes are relatively easy to appraise. What takes time is analyzing how differing features add to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. Let us know up front when you order your report if there are unique characteristics of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition put on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's susceptible to flooding. These are things we will find out on our own anyway, and knowing them as early as possible is likely to make your report arrive more quickly.
Did you make the occupants of the home aware of what to expect?: One of the most time consuming steps of the appraisal process is confirming an inspection date with the current homeowner. We understand that a homeowner may be uneasy with an unknown person inspecting every square foot of their home, taking pictures, and making copious notes. Some think they must make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection, with the idea that will increase the appraised value. So they delay the inspection until they have cleaned.

Hearing from you -- someone they are working with on their loan -- some info about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't change their home's value one little bit, and likely decrease the time it takes to inspect a home. Please feel free to point your customers to this website, where we have lots of pages of relevant information for homeowners as well as others describing the appraisal process. They can even call us if they want to meet the staff and learn more about our services. And tell them it's to their advantage to set the appointment without delay!
Easily verify 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. There's no easier or faster way to keep track of the status of your report.