A Few Suggestions for Faster Turn Times

Appraising is a constantly changing profession. On a regular basis, it seems, appraisers are asked to offer more information or have steps added to their process. All to guarantee the end user receives the best data available. In order to keep up with the continuously changing requirements, Brown Dog Appraisal, LLC is always researching new tools and improving processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for more efficiently. At Brown Dog Appraisal, LLC we know that time is important to everybody, so we've listed a few things you can do to lessen turn times on any appraisals you order with Brown Dog Appraisal, LLC.

Are you ordering appraisals online?

With online ordering, you get automatic e-mail acknowledgements that the request 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 re-key information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether we received the order.

Are you providing complete and accurate data about the subject property?

There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to unnecessarily slow down 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 might differ from yours.

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

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

Cookie-cutter houses are relatively easy to appraise. What takes time is analyzing how characteristics unique to a property 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 elements of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's had a recent addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's predisposed to flooding. While these are things that we'd find out on our own, knowing them as soon as possible makes your report arrive more quickly.

Let the homeowner know what to expect.

One of the most inefficient tasks of the appraisal process is setting an appointment with the occupants of the home. Some homeowners are understandably uneasy with the idea an outsider wants to come in their house, look around, and make lots of notes. Under the belief that it will make the house appraise for more money, many homeowners believe they must make the place spotless before the appraiser comes by. And will delay the appointment until they can get around to cleaning.

Coming 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 likely decrease the appraisal inspection time. I encourage you to point them to this website, where we have several pages of helpful information for homeowners as well as others about the appraisal process. Have them call us if they want to meet our staff and learn more about our services. Remind them it benefits them to set the appointment quickly!

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 we complete each important milestone in an assignment, that information can be viewed instantly online. It's never been faster to track the status of your report.