Five Steps to Quicker Turn Times

The appraisal profession is continuously evolving. Regularly, it seems, appraisers are asked to present additional information or have steps added to their appraisal process. All of this is to guarantee their client receives the most useful information that can be achieved. In order to keep up with the continuously changing requirements, LendPort Appraisals, Inc. is always seeking new tools and tweaking processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for you. Since LendPort Appraisals, Inc. knows that time is important to everyone, we've listed some tips you can do to trim turn times on any appraisals ordered from LendPort Appraisals, Inc.:

  1. Order your appraisals online. By ordering online, you receive automatic e-mail acknowledgements that the assignment 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 retype information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether the order was received.

  2. Confirm that the subject property information 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 be different from yours.

    3. If you have any questions about your property or an assignment we're working on for you, don't hesitate to call us at 1 (410) 999-0033

  3. Be sure to let us know about the property's unique elements. Cookie-cutter houses are relatively easy to appraise. What takes time is analyzing how elements unique to a property contribute to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. When you order your report, let us know if there are unique elements of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's had a recent 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 is likely to make your report arrive without delay.

  4. Let the occupants know what to expect. One of the most tedious parts of the appraisal process is confirming an appointment with the occupants of the home. Many current homeowners are clearly uneasy with the idea that an outsider wants to come in their home, look around, and take lots of notes. Having the thought that it will increase the value, many homeowners think they need to make the place spotless before the appraiser comes by . So they choose to not schedule the appointment until it is cleaned.

    Hearing it 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 increase their home's value one bit, will help move the process along for everyone. Our website has lots of pages of helpful information about the appraisal process for homeowners. Please feel free to share it with your clients. They can even call us if they want to meet our staff and learn more about our services. Remind them it's to their benefit to set the appointment quickly!

  5. Easily follow the status of your report on our website. Phone and fax tag are a thing of the past with 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 faster or easier way to keep track of your report's status.