A Few Steps to Faster Turn Times

The appraisal profession is evolving continuously. Each year, it seems, appraisers are asked to include extra information or have steps added to their appraisal process. All of this is to ensure the end user has the best information to be had. To stay current with the always changing requirements, Island House Appraisals Inc is continuously seeking new tools and improving processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for in less time. At Island House Appraisals Inc we know that time is important to everybody, so here are some tips you can do to accelerate the process on any appraisals ordered with Island House Appraisals Inc.

Are you ordering appraisals online?

With online ordering, you automatically receive e-mail notifications that the order 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 manually enter information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether the order was received.

Verify that the subject property data is accurate and complete.

Having just one number incorrect on the street address can really 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 — remember, however, that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.

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

Tell us up front of the property's distinct details.

Cookie-cutter houses are relatively easy to appraise. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how unique features 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 constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's susceptible to flooding. While these are things that we'll find out on our own, knowing them early on makes your report arrive more quickly.

Let the homeowner know what to expect.

Confirming an appointment with the homeowner can be one of the most inefficient parts in the appraisal process. We understand that a homeowner may be uneasy with an outsider inspecting every square foot of their home, taking pictures, and making numerous notes. Not uncommonly they think they ought to make the place spotless before the inspection, thinking that will make the house appraise higher. So they put off the appointment until it is cleaned.

Hearing from you -- a person they are working with on their loan -- a little knowledge 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 numerous pages of helpful information about the appraisal process for homeowners. Please feel free 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's to their advantage to set the appointment soon!

Use our website 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 is available to you online. It's never been easier to keep track of your report's status.