Five Steps to Faster Turn Times

The appraisal profession is evolving continuously. Often, it seems, appraisers are asked to present extra information or have steps added to their process. They do this additional work to guarantee their client gets the best information available. To keep up with the continuously changing requirements, Gonzalez Appraisal Group is constantly testing new tools and tweaking processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our customers. At Gonzalez Appraisal Group we know that time is important to everybody, so here are some items you can do to speed up the process when you order an appraisal with Gonzalez Appraisal Group.

Are you ordering appraisals online?: By ordering online, you automatically receive e-mail confirmations that the order was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This tip single-handedly will save the most time! No longer do we have to retype information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether we got the request.
Make sure that the subject property data is accurate and complete.: There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to unnecessarily slow down an appraisal assignment. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name is helpful information to pass long with your request. We even welcome lists of recent sales from the area — though be advised that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may be different from yours.
Let us know up front of the property's distinct features.: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter house. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how differing elements 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 elements of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's prone to flooding. These are things we will find out on our own anyway, and knowing them as soon as possible makes your report arrive faster.
Do the occupants know what to expect?: Confirming an inspection time and date with the homeowner can be one of the most tedious tasks in the appraisal process. We understand that a homeowner may be uneasy with an unknown person looking in every corner of their home, taking pictures, and making copious notes. One common belief is that they must make the place spotless before the appraiser comes by, with the notion that will increase the value. And will choose to not schedule the appraisal inspection until it is cleaned.

Hearing it directly from you -- the 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 likely shorten the time it takes to inspect a home. Our website has lots of pages of relevant information about the appraisal process for homeowners. Please feel free to share it with your customers. They can even call us if they want to become familiar with the staff and our services. And tell them it benefits them to set the appointment without delay!
Easily track the status of your report on our website.: 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 is available to you online. There's no faster or easier way to keep track of your report's status.