Some Hints for Swifter Turn Times

Appraising is an always changing profession. Often, it seems, appraisers are asked to supply extra information or have steps added to their research. All of this is to guarantee the end user receives the most useful analysis possible. To stay current with the always changing requirements, Haley-Worsham & Associates LLC is continuously researching additional tools and tweaking processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our customers. Since Haley-Worsham & Associates LLC knows that time is important to everyone, we've listed some items you can do to accelerate the process on any appraisals you order from Haley-Worsham & Associates LLC:

  1. Always order your appraisals on the Internet. When you order online, you automatically receive e-mail acknowledgements that the request 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 nor will you wonder whether the order was received.

  2. Complete and accurate subject property data is essential. There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to unnecessarily interrupt 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 — though be advised that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours might differ from yours.

    3. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about your property or an assignment we're working on for you.

  3. Be sure to tell us about the unique details of this property. Cookie-cutter houses are relatively easy to appraise. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how characteristics unique to a property contribute 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 features of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition built on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, and it's susceptible to flooding. While these are things that we'll find out on our own, knowing them early on makes your report arrive earlier.

  4. Let the occupants know what to expect. One of the most time consuming parts of the appraisal process is setting an inspection date with the occupants of the home. Some current homeowners are justifiably apprehensive with the thought that a stranger wants to come in their home, look around, and make abundant notes. With the idea that it will increase the value, many homeowners believe they should make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection . So they choose to not schedule the inspection until the house is cleaned.

    Coming from you -- a trusted party with whom they already have a business relationship -- a little information 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. Our website has multiple pages of relevant information about the appraisal process for homeowners. I encourage you to share it with your clients. 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 quickly!

  5. Our website is a great resource for keeping tabs on your report's status. 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 to you online. It's never been easier to track the status of your report.