A Few Steps to Swifter Turn Times

The appraisal profession is always evolving. Regularly, it seems, appraisers are asked to include extra information or have steps added to their process. They do this additional work to guarantee their client gets the best data available. In order to stay current with the continuously changing requirements, South Shore Realty Advisors, Inc is continuously seeking additional tools and improving processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our clients. At South Shore Realty Advisors, Inc we know that time is important to everybody, so here are some things you can do to hasten the process whenever you order an appraisal from South Shore Realty Advisors, Inc.

Always order your appraisals online.
By ordering online, you get automatic e-mail notifications that the order was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This tip single-handedly will save the most time! No longer do we have to manually enter information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether we got the order.
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. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name is good information to include with the request. We even welcome lists of recent sales in the area — 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.

If you have any questions about your property or a job we're working on for you, feel free to call us at

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 differing details add 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 features of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition built on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's predisposed to flooding. While these are things that we'll find out on our own, knowing them early on will likely make your report arrive without delay.
Be sure the occupants know the the plan.
Setting an inspection time and date with the homeowner can be one of the most inefficient parts in the appraisal process. It's understandable for a homeowner to be uneasy with a stranger inspecting every square foot of their home, taking pictures, and making copious notes. A common belief is that they have to make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection, believing that will make the house appraise higher. So they choose to not schedule the appraisal inspection until it is cleaned.

Hearing from you -- a person they are working with on their loan -- some info about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't make it more likely their sale will close, and can shorten 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 customers. They can even call us if they want to become familiar with the staff and our services. Remind them it's to their benefit to set the appointment as soon as possible!
Our website is a great resource for tracking the status of your report.
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 is available to you online. There's no faster or easier way to keep track of the status of your report.