Five Steps to Swifter Turn Times

Appraising is an always changing profession. On a regular basis, it seems, appraisers are asked to include additional information or have steps added to their appraisal process. All of this is to guarantee the end user has the best information to be had. To keep up with the always changing requirements, St. Charles/WestPlex Appraisal Services, LLC is continuously acquiring new tools and tweaking processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our customers. At St. Charles/WestPlex Appraisal Services, LLC we know that time is important to everybody, so here are a handful of things you can do to hasten the process on any appraisals you order with St. Charles/WestPlex Appraisal Services, LLC.

Are you ordering appraisals online?

When you order online, you receive automatic e-mail notifications that the assignment was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This tip single-handedly will save the most time! We don't have to retype information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether we got the request.

Complete and accurate subject property data is crucial.

Being just one number off 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. We even welcome lists of recent sales in the area — remember, however, that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours might differ from yours.

If you have any questions about your property or an appraisal, we're working on for you, don't hesitate to call us at 314-503-3438 or complete the form below.

Are you letting us know up front any features of the property that might make it unique?

Cookie-cutter homes are relatively easy to appraise. What takes time is analyzing how differing elements contribute to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. When ordering your report, let us know if there are unique features of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's had a recent addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's prone to flooding. These are things we'd find out on our own anyway, and knowing them sooner will likely make your report arrive sooner.

Do the occupants know what to expect?

One of the most inefficient parts of the appraisal process is setting an inspection date with the current homeowner. We understand that a homeowner may be uncomfortable with an unknown person looking in every square foot of their home, taking photos, and making copious notes. With the belief that it will increase the appraised value, many homeowners feel they should make the place spotless before the appraiser comes by. So they delay the appointment until it is cleaned.

Coming from you -- the person they've been working with on their loan -- a little information about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't affect their home's value one little bit, and likely shorten the time it takes to inspect a home. I encourage you to point them to this website, where we have lots of pages of useful information for homeowners and others regarding the appraisal process. They can even call us if they want to become familiar with our staff and services. And tell them it benefits them to set the appointment soon!

Use our website to verify your report's status.

No more phone and fax tag. Up-to-the-minute status updates are available online, anytime, 24/7. As each important milestone in an assignment is completed, that information can be viewed instantly online. It's never been easier to track the status of your report.