Five Hints for Shorter Turn Times

Appraising is an always changing profession. Every year, it seems, appraisers are asked to provide more information or have steps added to their appraisal process. All of this is to ensure the end user is presented with the best analysis that can be achieved. To stay current with the continuously changing requirements, Phoenix Valuations, LLC is continuously testing additional tools and improving processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for you. Since Phoenix Valuations, LLC knows that time is important to everyone, here are a handful of items you can do to speed up the process when you order an appraisal with Phoenix Valuations, LLC:

Always order your appraisals online. By ordering online, you automatically get 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! We don't have to manually enter information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether the order was received.
Complete and accurate subject property information is key. Having just one number incorrect on the street address can really unnecessarily slow down an appraisal assignment. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name is good information to pass along with the request. Even a list of recent sales from the area is welcome — though be advised that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may be different from yours.


	Feel free to call us at 480.634.5980 if you have any questions about your property or a job we're working on for you.

Let us know up front of the property's distinct characteristics. Cookie-cutter homes are relatively easy to appraise. What takes time is analyzing how differing characteristics add 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 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 would find out on our own, knowing them sooner is likely to make your report arrive earlier.
Set proper expectations with the occupants. Setting an inspection time and date with the homeowner can be one of the most time consuming steps in the appraisal process. It's understandable for a homeowner to be uncomfortable with an outsider looking in every corner of their home, taking pictures, and making copious notes. A common belief is that they ought to make the place spotless before the inspection, believing that will make the house appraise higher and will reschedule the appraisal inspection until the house is cleaned.

Coming directly from you -- a trusted party with whom they already have a business relationship -- some info 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. Please feel free to point them to our website, where we have many pages of helpful information for homeowners as well as others regarding the appraisal process. They can even call us if they want to familiarize themselves with our staff and services. Remind them it's in their interest to set the appointment without delay!
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 instantly available to you online. It's never been easier to keep track of your report's status.