Five Hints for Swifter Turn Times

The appraisal profession is evolving at all times. Regularly, it seems, appraisers are asked to include additional information or have steps added to their process. They do this additional work to ensure their client is presented with the best information possible. In order to keep up with the constantly changing requirements, B. E. Schenck & Associates is continuously researching additional tools and improving processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for you. Since B. E. Schenck & Associates knows that time is important to everyone, below are some tips you can do to reduce turn times whenever you order an appraisal with B. E. Schenck & Associates:

Are you ordering appraisals online? By ordering online, you automatically receive 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! We don't have to re-key information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether we got the request.
Confirm that the subject property data is accurate and complete. Being just one number off on the street address can really 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. Even a list of recent area sales is welcome — however, remember that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.


	You're always welcome to contact us if you have any questions about your property or an assignment we're working on for you.

Be sure to tell us about the unique features of this property. Cookie-cutter homes are relatively easy to appraise. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how unique features contribute to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. At the time you order your report, be sure to let us know if there are unique elements 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 prone to flooding. While these are things that we'd find out on our own, knowing them sooner makes your report arrive quicker.
Let the homeowner know what to expect. One of the most tedious parts of the appraisal process is setting an appointment with the occupants of the home. Many homeowners are clearly uncomfortable with the fact that an outsider wants to come in their home, look around, and make abundant notes. Some think they have to make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection, believing that will make the house appraise higher . So they choose to not schedule the appointment until they have 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 affect their home's value one bit, will help move the process along for everyone. I encourage you to point your customers to this website, where we have several pages of relevant information for homeowners as well as others about the appraisal process. Advise them to call us if they want to meet the staff and learn more about our services. And tell them it benefits them to set the appointment as quickly as possible!
Are you using our website as a resource to verify 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 to keep track of the status of your report.