Thomas Associates: On The Cutting Edge of Appraisal Technology
Here at Thomas Associates, we always try to be on the forefront of appraisal technology. From smart phones, to laptops, GPS, you name it. Call us geeks. Call us nerds. Call us what you will, but by all means, call us at 707 987-2227 for appraisal orders in Lake County! Why? We're glad you asked.
The appraisal process has rapidly evolved in recent years and most would say, it's a lot more demanding than in the past. We put quality first, but we know that turnaround time is a big concern these days. So, the logical place to save time is in our daily workflow. The appraisers that have steadily adopted new technology have been the ones able to provide their customers with more accurate reports, better customer service and faster turnaround times.
Just look at how Thomas Associates makes ordering easier
Way back when, a great deal of orders were delivered via fax and were confirmed with phone calls once we got back into the office. It might be hours before a client even knew if we could do the order. These days, when orders are entered on this website, we get an e-mail on our phones. We often log into this site from the field and send back an e-mail confirmation – including the time and date for the inspection if we've been able to talk to the occupant.
When you order from Thomas Associates you can expect us to be concerned about your deadlines. We use our resources to reduce waiting between communications since the speed at which we get things done directly effects your bottom-line. Through features on this website, we can actually reduce the amount of time needed for your appraisal.
Using Technology in the Field
One of the most time consuming parts of an appraisal is gathering the data. We spend a lot of our time collecting both specific information about the subject property and general data about the local market and developing trends. Thomas Associates takes advantage of technology to close the gap once again.
Instead of using paper forms and pencils and then re-keying all the information back at the office, don't be surprised to see us with a tablet PC or collecting data using a program written for our phones that even lets us sketch a floorplan right on the spot. And instead of using an old tape measure, we're seeing that more appraisers are beginning to use accurate laser measuring devices that also help measure hard to access areas.
We combine all of these different technologies to ensure that the final report is comprehensive and accurate, requiring fewer call-backs and revisions. A real money saver for busy appraisal clients.
Appraisal Report Delivery
Delivery of appraisals as PDF files through e-mail is definitely the standard these days. Most of our clients prefer e-mail because we're all accustomed to getting attachments like PDFs in our mail. It's much more efficient than the old days when everything was on paper. But, we've even been able to innovate how you receive your report with this website.
Everyone knows how frustrating it is to lose a file. Or have you ever had problems sending or receiving an e-mail because it was too big? We've come up with a solution for those problems, too. When we deliver an appraisal through this website, the client is e-mailed a download link to retrieve the PDF. So, at that point, it doesn't matter if all the extra photos and maps in the report result in a large file that would normally be blocked by e-mail. And the download link is good for 90 days. So if you lose the file, you can log back in here and retrieve it again without even calling us or waiting for us to get to a computer so we can send it again.
Digital Workfile Technology
It would probably be easier if appraisers could complete a report, deliver it and never worry about revisiting that document again. However, appraisals are used to document the condition of a property on the inspection date. Therefore, appraisers are required by law to keep their reports for 5 years, allowing them to recall any appraisal at any time to either defend the valuation or to be used in other legal proceedings.
Here again, Thomas Associates leverages our embracing of technology to improve service. We store every part of the appraisal - notes, sketches, supporting documentation and calculations - along with the appraisal electronically, we're able to retrieve that report at any time and recall just what that job was about.
We just wanted to give you a little bit of insight into how we use our technology daily. Using the right software, services, gadgets and gizmos allows the appraiser to collect the appraisal data to finish the report faster and more accurately than previously possible.
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