Why is it Taking So Long to Get the Appraisal Back?

When will we get the appraisal?

This is a common question we real estate appraisers get and we understand the urgency.  We are aware of the deadlines for closings and understand that a delayed appraisal slows down the process. Trust me, we appraisers want to get the appraisal turned around and back to you as soon as we can.  If we can perform more appraisals in a shorter time then our business would be more profitable.  That being said, there are reasons that appraisals get delayed or take longer than anyone would like.  I would like to share a few of them.

• Time for Research and Analysis:  The appraisal process is not just finding three comparable sales in the neighborhood and giving a value. The appraisal process involves researching about the property, researching comparable sales, inspecting, analysis and composition.  It takes time to research tax information, MLS data, Zoning Information  for the subject and select available comparable sales. For a quality report it takes time for proper research.  If this research is done too quickly and not thoroughly, data could be inaccurate and the quality of the report would decrease.  Not only is all of this information researched and recorded,  but analysis of the market, determining the highest and best use of the subject, determining which sales are the most suitable, analyzing the stability of the market also takes time.   

• Scheduling Delays:  Appraisers have to schedule the inspection and sometimes there are delays in being able to contact the person.  Just last week, we tried two days straight to reach a contact and found out that the two numbers were transposed in the information we were given. Once we had the correct number we were able to schedule.  Appraisers are usually juggling more than one assignment so they are scheduling field inspections around due dates and also time in the office to research and type the appraisal. Weather can cause delays in being able to complete the inspection.  Sometimes borrowers will reschedule the inspection which slows when the appraisal is complete.  

• Complications May Arise: There are times when the complications or complexities arise which delay the process.  One example is after the initial research we get to the inspection and find that the subject is not what we thought based on our initial research.  It may be much larger than the tax data reported (click here to read how the tax measurement could be different than the appraisal measurement) or have an additional amenity such as a pool or guest house or it may be in very poor condition compared to the comparable sales we were intending to use. Once this happens additional research and time is needed to find similar comparable sales to use.  These sales then need to be mapped and we drive by and take pictures of the comparable sales.  Another example, occurred with us recently which involved the highest and best use of a property.  We were appraising a single family residence and discovered that it was zoned commercial.  We needed to confirm with the city that the subject was a legal nonconforming use and that it could be rebuilt if destroyed.  We called the city and the first person we talked with gave us a number to call another person, which we did and left a message on voice mail.  We did not hear back so we called the next day and spoke with an official with the zoning department.  She told us that she would need to research and call us back which occurred the next day.  This whole process of determining the best use took 3 days because of how long it took to get the confirmation from the city.  

• AMC Delays- Many  lenders use AMCs (Appraisal Management Companies) which order, review and then send the appraisal to the lender.  Sometimes there are delays at the AMC getting the order to the appraiser and then getting the appraisal back to the lender.   We have had borrowers contact us wanting to know when we were sending the appraisal and we had sent it two days ago.  For some reason it was delayed at the AMC.      

• Busy Workloads  - Sometimes appraisers are busy with other orders.  Right now in our markets it is very busy with lots of  purchases and refinances as the interests have been low. When our schedule gets busy we let clients know that there would be additional time to complete due to our current workload.  .                            

A few  thoughts about appraiser efficiency and how to choose an appraiser:

Sometime there is a trade off between time and quality.  To have a good quality appraisal that is well supported, credible and reliable it takes time.  Beware of the quick and cheap appraisals.  That being said, there are things that appraisers are doing to reduce the time it takes to complete an appraisal. There are programs which aid in getting the comparables imported into the report more quickly.  We use Datamasters.  Using a laser measure helps reduce the measuring time.  Appraiser Gary Kristensen has a good blog post on things appraisers can do to be more efficient at Top Reasons Real Estate Appraisers Go Paperless and Mobile,

Appraiser Ryan Lunquist offers this advice from his the Sacramento Appraisal Blog:

Advice for hiring a real estate appraiser:

• Ask the appraiser when the report can be in your hands (before you hire the appraiser). Be sure you are on the same page about deadlines.
• Let the appraiser know when you specifically need the report.
• Have realistic expectations about time.
• Get something in writing about when the report will be completed. The appraiser likely has an order form that you can fill out (get a copy of the order). Or you can always talk via email back and forth and use that conversation as your agreement.
• If you need something right away, you might want to offer to pay a “rush” fee.
• Be leery of “fast and cheap” appraisal marketing. If you have a delicate situation and you do have the luxury of time on your side, find an appraiser who will take more than 24 hours to appraise your property.
• Sometimes clients might say something like, “I know the report will be in my hands next week, but can I just get the value now?” The value ultimately comes at the end after all research has been completed.          Click Here to Read the Full Blog Post 

We hope that this has been helpful in understanding why it takes longer than we all would like to complete the appraisal report.  Let us know your thoughts or if you have any questions.

Disclaimer: All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. The information is meant entirely for educational purposes and casual reading only and is NOT intended for any other use.  This information is NOT intended to support an opinion of value for your appraisal needs or any sort of value conclusion for a loan, litigation, tax appeal or other potential real estate or non real estate purpose.  If you’d like to obtain additional information or order an appraisal for your specific needs, please contact us at www.dwslaterco.com.