Some Tips for Quicker Turn Times

Appraising is a constantly changing profession. On a regular basis, it seems, appraisers are asked to present extra information or have steps added to their appraisal process. All of this is to guarantee the end user is presented with the best information possible. In order to keep up with the constantly changing requirements, A. M. Appraisals is always acquiring new tools and tweaking processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for you. At A. M. Appraisals we know that time is important to everybody, so below are a handful of things you can do to lower turn times on any appraisals ordered from A. M. Appraisals.

Are you ordering appraisals online?

When you order online, you get automatic e-mail confirmations that the assignment 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 retype information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether the order was received.

Complete and accurate subject property information is crucial.

Being just one number off on the street address can really unnecessarily interrupt 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 — though be advised that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.

If you have any questions about your property or an assignment we're working on for you, don't hesitate to call us at

Let us know up front of the property's unique characteristics.

Cookie-cutter houses are relatively easy to appraise. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how characteristics unique to a property add 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 details of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's predisposed to flooding. While these are things that we'd find out on our own, knowing them as soon as possible makes your report arrive more quickly.

Does the homeowner know what to expect?

One of the most inefficient parts of the appraisal process is confirming an inspection date with the current homeowner. Some current homeowners are justifiably uneasy with the fact a stranger wants to come in their house, look around, and take copious notes. Thinking that it will increase the value, some homeowners believe they should make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection. So they choose to not schedule the appointment until it is cleaned.

Coming from you -- someone they have 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 decrease the time it takes to inspect a home. I encourage you to point them to our website, where we have many pages of relevant information for homeowners and others describing the appraisal process. They can even call us if they want to meet our staff and learn more about our services. And tell them it benefits them to set the appointment soon!

Use our website to track your report's status.

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 instantly to you online. It's never been easier to keep track of the status of your report.