A Few Tips for Shorter Turn Times

Appraising is an always changing profession. On a regular basis, it seems, appraisers are asked to offer extra information or have steps added to their research - all to ensure the end user receives the most useful information. In order to keep up with the constantly changing requirements, Sandcastle Management & Realty is always acquiring additional tools and improving processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for you. At Sandcastle Management & Realty we know that time is important to everybody, so here are some things you can do to lower turn times on any appraisals you order from Sandcastle Management & Realty:

Always order your appraisals online. With online ordering, you get automatic e-mail confirmations that the request was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. Online ordering 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 we got the order.
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. 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 — however, remember that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may be different from yours.


	If you have any questions about your property or an assignment we're working on for you, you're always free to call us at 847-509-1522

Are you letting us know up front any elements of the property that might make it distinct? Cookie-cutter homes are relatively easy to appraise. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how unique characteristics contribute to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. When ordering your report, let us know if there are unique features of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's had a recent addition built on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, and it's prone to flooding. While these are things that we would find out on our own, knowing them sooner will likely make your report arrive more quickly.
Are you making the occupants of the home aware of what to expect? Setting an inspection time and date with the homeowner can be one of the most tedious steps in the appraisal process. It's understandable for a homeowner to be uncomfortable with an unknown person looking in every square foot of their home, taking pictures, and making numerous notes. With the Notion that it will increase the appraised value, many homeowners believe they ought to make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection and will choose to not schedule the inspection until they can get around to cleaning.

Hearing from you -- a trusted party with whom they already have a business relationship -- a little knowledge 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. I encourage you to point your customers to our website, where we have lots of pages of helpful information for homeowners and others regarding the appraisal process. They can even call us if they want to familiarize themselves with our staff and services. And tell them it's in their interest to set the appointment soon!
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 available to you online. There's no easier way to track the status of your report.