The appraisal profession is always evolving. Every year, it seems, appraisers are asked to present extra information or have steps added to their appraisal process. All of this is to ensure their client gets the best data. To stay current with the continuously changing requirements, Ford Appraisal Service is always testing additional tools and improving processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our customers. At Ford Appraisal Service we know that time is important to everybody, so we've listed some items you can do to lessen turn times on any appraisals you order with Ford Appraisal Service:
Are you ordering appraisals online? When you order online, you get automatic e-mail acknowledgements that the order was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This tip alone will save the most time! No longer do we have to re-key information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether the order was received.
Complete and accurate subject property information is crucial. Being just one number off 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 is helpful information to pass along with the assignment. 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 may be different from yours.
Feel free to call us at (502)-643-4444 if you have any questions about your property or a job we're working on for you.
Be sure to let us know about the unique details of this property. It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter house. What takes time is analyzing how unique elements contribute 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 put on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, and it's predisposed to flooding. These are things we'll find out on our own anyway, and knowing them early on is likely to make your report arrive sooner.
Be sure the occupants know the plan. Setting an appointment with the homeowner can be one of the most inefficient tasks in the appraisal process. Many current homeowners are clearly uneasy with the fact that an outsider wants to come in their home, look around, and make abundant notes. Many commonly think they ought to make the place spotless before the appraiser comes by, thinking that will increase the value and will choose to not schedule the appointment until they have cleaned.
Coming directly from you -- a trusted party with whom they already have a business relationship -- some information about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't change their home's value one bit, will help move the process along for everyone. Please feel free to point your customers to our website, where we have lots of pages of useful information for homeowners and others describing the appraisal process. Have them call us if they want to familiarize themselves with our staff and services. And tell them it's to their benefit to set the appointment quickly!
Our website is a great resource for verifying your report's status. No more phone and fax tag. Up-to-the-minute status updates are 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 easier and faster to track the status of your report.
