A Few Steps to Shorter Turn Times

Appraising is an always changing profession. Each year, it seems, appraisers are asked to present more information or have steps added to their research - all to ensure their client receives the best analysis. In order to stay current with the continuously changing requirements, Blue Heron Appraisal Services is constantly testing additional tools and improving processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for more efficiently. Since Blue Heron Appraisal Services knows that time is important to everyone, we've listed a couple of tips you can do to decrease turn times every time you order an appraisal with Blue Heron Appraisal Services:

  1. Always order your appraisals electronically. When you order online, you automatically get e-mail notifications that the order 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 manually enter information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether we received the order.

  2. Make sure that the subject property information is accurate and complete. There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to 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 — however, remember that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours might differ from yours.

    3. Feel free to call us at 949-400-0638 if you have any questions about your property or an assignment we're working on for you.

  3. Let us know up front of the property's unique features. Cookie-cutter homes are relatively easy to appraise. What takes time is analyzing how differing features contribute to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. Let us know up front when ordering your report if there are unique characteristics of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, and it's susceptible to flooding. These are things we'd find out on our own anyway, and knowing them sooner makes your report arrive more quickly.

  4. Let the homeowner know what to expect. One of the most time consuming steps of the appraisal process is setting an appointment with the homeowner. Some current homeowners are clearly uneasy with the notion that an unknown persons wants to come in their home, look around, and make copious notes. With the Notion that it will increase the appraised value, many homeowners think they need to make the place spotless before the appraiser comes by . So they put off the appraisal inspection until the house is cleaned.

    Coming directly from you -- a trusted party with whom they already have a business relationship -- a short explanation about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't make a significant difference in their home's value, will help move the process along for everyone. Our website has many pages of useful information about the appraisal process for homeowners. Please feel free to share it with your customers. Advise them to call us if they want to familiarize themselves with our staff and services. Remind them it's to their advantage to set the appointment quickly!

  5. Use our website to track 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 instantly available to you online. It's never been faster to keep track of your report's status.