Five Steps to Quicker Turn Times

Appraising is a constantly changing profession. Commonly, it seems, appraisers are asked to supply more information or have steps added to their process - all to ensure the end user is presented with the best analysis. In order to keep up with the continuously changing requirements, Pinnacle Appraisals is constantly researching additional tools and tweaking processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for you. Since Pinnacle Appraisals knows that time is important to everyone, below are a handful of tips you can do to lower turn times on any appraisals you order from Pinnacle Appraisals:

  1. Always order your appraisals electronically. When you order online, you automatically get e-mail confirmations that the assignment was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This tip single-handedly will save the most time! No longer do we have to re-key information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether the order was received.

  2. Complete and accurate subject property information is key. There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to 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 might differ from yours.

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

  3. Are you telling us up front any elements of the property that might make it distinct? Cookie-cutter houses are relatively easy to appraise. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how details unique to a property add 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 recently had an addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, and it's prone to flooding. While these are things that we'd find out on our own, knowing them sooner will likely make your report arrive sooner.

  4. Be sure the homeowner knows the plan. One of the most tedious steps of the appraisal process is setting an appointment with the current homeowner. Many current homeowners are justifiably uneasy with the fact that an unknown persons wants to come in their house, look around, and take copious notes. With the belief that it will increase the appraised value, a few homeowners believe they ought to make the place spotless before the appraiser comes by . So they choose to not schedule the inspection until they have cleaned.

    Hearing it directly from you -- a trusted party with whom they are already working -- a little knowledge about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't affect their home's value one bit, will help move the process along for everyone. Our website has lots of pages of useful 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 become familiar with our staff and services. And tell them it's in their interest to set the appointment soon!

  5. Use our website to keep tabs on your report's status. 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 can be viewed instantly online. There's no easier way to track the status of your report.