A Few Suggestions for Swifter Turn Times

Appraising is a constantly changing profession. Often, it seems, appraisers are asked to provide extra information or have steps added to their process. All of this is to guarantee their client is presented with the best data available. To stay current with the continuously changing requirements, Texas Real Estate Office is constantly testing new tools and improving processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for you. At Texas Real Estate Office we know that time is important to everybody, so below are some tips you can do to trim turn times whenever you order an appraisal from Texas Real Estate Office.

Always order your appraisals electronically.: With online ordering, you receive automatic e-mail notifications that the request was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This 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.
Complete and accurate subject property data is crucial.: There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to unnecessarily interrupt an appraisal assignment. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name are helpful data to pass long with the assignment. We even welcome lists of recent sales in the area — remember, however, that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours might differ from yours.
Let us know up front of the property's distinct characteristics.: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter house. What takes time is analyzing how details unique to a property add to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. When ordering your report, let us know if there are unique features of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's had a recent addition put on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's predisposed to flooding. While these are things that we will find out on our own, knowing them sooner will likely make your report arrive without delay.
Are you making the occupants of the home aware of what to expect?: Setting an inspection time and date with the homeowner can be one of the most inefficient steps in the appraisal process. Many homeowners are clearly uncomfortable with the thought an outsider wants to come in their home, look around, and take numerous notes. With the idea that it will increase the value, a few homeowners think they should make the place spotless before the inspection. So they reschedule the appointment until it is cleaned.

Hearing from you -- a person they've been working with on their loan -- a little bit 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. I encourage you to point them to our website, where we have lots of pages of useful information for homeowners and others about the appraisal process. Have them call us if they want to familiarize themselves with our staff and services. And tell them it benefits them to set the appointment promptly!
Our website is a great resource for following the status of your report.: 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 is available instantly to you online. It's never been faster to keep track of your report's status.