“Consumers periodically state that scheduling an appraisal has been an issue for them,” Johnson says, with appraisers sometimes not arriving when they say they will. The fact is, however, that each appraisal presents unique challenges. An appraiser never knows what he or she is going to find when they get to a property, how complicated the attic is, how accessible the basement may be or what other dynamics may be involved. As a result, appraisers never know how long the preceding appointment will take. Borrowers should know to expect a call from an appraiser to arrange an appointment, but they should also know that the appraiser’s schedule might change for various reasons. This is one step in the process where a human approach may still be preferable to technology. “I know that several providers have been testing scheduling technology,” Dingeman says, “and there’s been a lot of pushback from appraisers who are independent contractors. As self-employed professionals, they do not want to share their calendar with the universe. It also limits their ability to arrange appointments based on their own travel, location and so on. I think the best thing for an appraiser to do in this situation is say, ‘I’m available in your neighborhood on Monday from one to three. What time works best for you?’ Now you have a time frame that provides flexibility for the appraiser while still providing a more convenient, limited window for the client.” Managing Market-Value Expectations Clear communication also can help to educate consumers regarding the appraisal process itself, as well as to correct any misconceptions they might have. “Just because that one house down the street sold for $350,000 does not mean that your property also is worth $350,000,” says Van Horn. “And just because your property is ten square feet larger or you think you have more luxurious countertops, that also doesn’t mean it’s worth more than $350,000. You have to analyze the market data as a whole. The appraiser’s job is to get in there, evaluate the entire property, evaluate the entire market and understand what—under typical conditions—is a reasonable selling price. Often, owners want to refer to Zillow estimates and other automated estimates. But Zillow isn’t a human being walking the property and making informed, on-site decisions based upon their experience and expertise.” Under these circumstances, communication can go a long way to tailoring customer expectations and avoiding confusion. Yet sometimes value disputes are unavoidable. Communicating effectively can help customers to make sense of a situation in which different appraisers came to Appraising continued from page 25 YOU COULD QUALIFY FOR 10 FREE SIGNINGS! CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED TODAY VERIFIED AND TRUSTED REVERSE SIGNING AGENTS getnotaroo.com | (480)477-9627 | hello@notaroo.com REVERSE MORTGAGE SIGNING EXPERTS 26 REVERSE MORTGAGE / MARCH-APR I L 2022
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