Some Tips for Faster Turn Times

Appraising is an always changing profession. Often, it seems, appraisers are asked to offer extra information or have steps added to their data gathering - all to guarantee their client receives the most useful data possible. In order to keep up with the continuously changing requirements, The Castillo Group, LLC is constantly researching new tools and improving processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for you. At The Castillo Group, LLC we know that time is important to everybody, so we've listed some things you can do to speed up the process on any appraisals you order with The Castillo Group, LLC:

Are you ordering appraisals online? When you order online, you receive automatic e-mail notifications that the request was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This tip alone will save the most time! No longer do we have to re-key information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether we received the order.
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 — however, remember that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may be different from yours.


	Feel free to call us at 520-237-4437 if you have any questions about your property or an appraisal we're working on for you.

Are you letting us know 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 details unique to a property contribute 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 elements of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition built on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, and it's prone to flooding. While these are things that we'd find out on our own, knowing them sooner is likely to make your report arrive more quickly.
Are you making the homeowner of the home aware of what to expect? Setting an appointment with the homeowner can be one of the most inefficient steps in the appraisal process. We understand that a homeowner may be uneasy with an outsider inspecting every corner of their home, taking pictures, and making copious notes. Many commonly think they should make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection, with the belief that will increase the appraised value . So they put off the appointment until the house is cleaned.

Hearing from you -- a trusted party with whom they are already working -- some information about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't affect their home's value one bit, will help move the process along for everyone. Our website has multiple pages of helpful 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's in their interest to set the appointment promptly!
Are you using our website as a resource to follow the status of your report? 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 is instantly available to you online. It's never been easier and faster to track your report's status.