Five Hints for Shorter Turn Times

Appraising is a constantly changing profession. Regularly, it seems, appraisers are asked to include extra information or have steps added to their research. All of this is to ensure their client is presented with the best data possible. In order to keep up with the continuously changing requirements, Mountain Home Properties is continuously acquiring additional tools and improving processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for more efficiently. Since Mountain Home Properties knows that time is important to everyone, below are a few items you can do to trim turn times each time you order an appraisal with Mountain Home Properties.

Always order your appraisals online.

When you order online, you get automatic e-mail notifications that the assignment was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. Online ordering is the single biggest time saver available to both of us! We don't have to retype information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether the order was received.

Complete and accurate subject property data is essential.

There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to add unnecessary time to an appraisal assignment. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name is good information to include with the assignment. We even welcome lists of recent sales from the area — though be advised that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.

You're always free to call us at if you have any questions about your property or an assignment we're working on for you.

Are you telling us up front any elements of the property that might make it distinct?

Cookie-cutter homes are relatively easy to appraise. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how unique elements contribute 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, it's prone to flooding. These are things we will find out on our own anyway, and knowing them as soon as possible makes your report arrive quicker.

Set proper expectations with the homeowner.

Setting an appointment with the homeowner can be one of the most time consuming steps in the appraisal process. Many current homeowners are justifiably uncomfortable with the idea a stranger wants to come in their home, look around, and make copious notes. Believing that it will make the house appraise higher, a few homeowners feel they ought to make the place spotless before the inspection. And will delay the inspection until it is cleaned.

Hearing it directly from you -- a person they have been working with on their loan -- a short explanation 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 decrease the appraisal inspection time. Our website has multiple pages of relevant information about the appraisal process for homeowners. I encourage you to share it with your clients. They can even call us if they want to meet our staff and learn more about our services. Remind them it benefits them to set the appointment as soon as possible!

Use our website to follow 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 each important milestone in an assignment is completed, that information is instantly available to you online. It's never been faster and easier to keep track of the status of your report.