Five Steps to Swifter Turn Times

Appraising is an always changing profession. Every year, it seems, appraisers are asked to provide additional information or have steps added to their data gathering. All of this is to ensure their client receives the most useful data. In order to keep up with the continuously changing requirements, LeBourgeois Appraisals, LLC is constantly acquiring additional tools and improving processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our customers. At LeBourgeois Appraisals, LLC we know that time is important to everybody, so here are a handful of tips you can do to lower turn times on any appraisals you order from LeBourgeois Appraisals, LLC:

  1. Are you ordering appraisals online? When you order online, you automatically receive e-mail acknowledgements that the order was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This is the single biggest time saver available to both of us! No longer do we have to re-key information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether the order was received.

  2. Verify 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. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name are great data to include with your request. We even welcome lists of recent sales in the area — however, remember that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.

    3. You're always welcome to contact us if you have any questions about your property or an assignment we're working on for you.

  3. Let us know up front of the property's distinct characteristics. Cookie-cutter homes are relatively easy to appraise. What takes time is analyzing how unique details contribute to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. Let us know up front when ordering 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, and it's prone to flooding. While these are things that we'd find out on our own, knowing them as soon as possible is likely to make your report arrive quicker.

  4. Does the homeowner know what to expect? Setting an appointment with the homeowner can be one of the most tedious parts in the appraisal process. Some current homeowners are clearly uneasy with the notion that an outsider wants to come in their home, look around, and make abundant notes. Under the impression that it will increase the appraised value, some homeowners think they must make the place spotless before the appraiser comes by . So they put off the appointment until they can get around to cleaning.

    Coming from you -- a trusted party with whom they already have a business relationship -- some 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. Our website has lots of pages of useful information about the appraisal process for homeowners. Please feel free to share it with your customers. They can even call us if they want to meet the staff and learn more about our services. And tell them it's in their interest to set the appointment soon!

  5. Easily follow the status of your report on our website. 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 instantly to you online. It's never been easier to keep track of your report's status.