A Few Steps to Quicker Turn Times

Appraising is a constantly changing profession. Often, it seems, appraisers are asked to present more information or have steps added to their data gathering. All to ensure the end user has the best information available. To keep up with the constantly changing requirements, Bohem Associates is continuously acquiring new tools and tweaking processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for you. At Bohem Associates we know that time is important to everybody, so we've listed a few tips you can do to lessen turn times on any appraisals ordered from Bohem Associates.

Are you ordering appraisals online?: When you order online, you automatically get e-mail confirmations that the request was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. It's the single biggest time saver available to both of us! No longer do we have to retype information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether the order was received.
Are you providing complete and accurate information about the subject property?: 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. We even welcome lists of recent sales from the area — remember, however, that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may be different from yours.
Be sure to tell us about the property's unique characteristics.: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter house. What takes time is analyzing how differing features add to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. At the time you order your report, be sure to let us know if there are unique characteristics of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's had a recent addition put on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's susceptible to flooding. These are things we would find out on our own anyway, and knowing them sooner makes your report arrive more quickly.
What are you doing to make the homeowner of the home aware of what to expect?: Setting an appointment with the homeowner can be one of the most time consuming steps in the appraisal process. Some homeowners are clearly apprehensive with the idea a stranger wants to come in their house, look around, and make copious notes. Having the thought that it will increase the appraised value, many homeowners think they need to make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection. So they reschedule the inspection until they have cleaned.

Coming directly from you -- a person they have been working with on their loan -- some information 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 shorten the appraisal inspection time. Our website has multiple 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 our staff and learn more about our services. And tell them it's to their advantage to set the appointment promptly!
Our website is a great resource for following your report's status.: No more phone and fax tag. Up-to-the-minute status updates are 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 to track your report's status.