Five Steps to Shorter Turn Times

The appraisal profession is evolving at all times. Regularly, it seems, appraisers are asked to present more information or have steps added to their appraisal process. All to ensure the end user has the best data possible. In order to keep up with the always changing requirements, CMJ Appraisals & Investments LLC is constantly acquiring additional tools and improving processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our customers. Since CMJ Appraisals & Investments LLC knows that time is important to everyone, we've listed some things you can do to speed up the process whenever you order an appraisal from CMJ Appraisals & Investments LLC.

Order your appraisals online.: 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! We don't have to retype information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether the order was received.
Verify that the subject property data is accurate and complete.: 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 sales from the area is welcome — though be advised that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may be different from yours.
Tell us up front of the property's unique details.: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter house. What takes time is analyzing how characteristics 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 characteristics of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's had a recent addition built on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's prone to flooding. These are things we would find out on our own anyway, and knowing them as soon as possible makes your report arrive earlier.
Be sure the homeowner knows the the plan.: Confirming an appointment with the homeowner can be one of the most time consuming steps in the appraisal process. We understand that a homeowner may be uncomfortable with an outsider looking in every square foot of their home, taking pictures, and making copious notes. With the idea that it will increase the value, many homeowners think they must make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection. So they choose to not schedule the inspection until they have cleaned.

Coming directly from you -- a person they've been working with on their loan -- some info about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't affect their home's value one little bit, and likely shorten the time it takes to inspect a home. Our website has several pages of helpful information about the appraisal process for homeowners. I encourage you to share it with your clients. Have them call us if they want to meet the staff and learn more about our services. Remind them it benefits them to set the appointment as quickly as possible!
Why not our website as a resource to verify 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 each important milestone in an assignment is completed, that information can be viewed instantly online. It's never been easier and faster to track the status of your report.