Adapting to an Unprecedented Appraisal Environment and Staying Safe
In this unprecedented time, all of us are practicing caution to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. As an appraiser, you may never have thought that your job would put your health danger. Sure, an angry homeowner might threaten you or a dog might chase you off, but you probably never thought your job would be dangerous enough to negatively impact your loved ones, and yet here we are in the middle of a pandemic where officials are preaching social distancing and avoidance to stay safe.
Performing an inspection and keeping a safe social distance can both be accomplished at the same time. As you know, there are steps you can take while you are in someone’s home touching light switches, electrical panels, handrails, doorknobs, etc. to be vigilant. After all, without your important work, loan origination stops.
COVID-19 Procedures & Protocols Form
We are reading blogs and news stories about what some appraisers are doing to help keep themselves and their loved ones safe. Many appraisers have started using what they’re calling a “Procedures & Protocols Form” when they receive an order assignment. To better identify what the assignment entails from a safety and health perspective, you could use this as a disclosure template and conditionally accept assignments based on your lender client completing the form and ensuring that they are assigning you a safe appraisal request.
Some appraisers are even cancelling assignments and not accepting new assignments for the time being to stay healthy and protect themselves and their loved ones. If you are going down this route, we suggest using the Vacation Hold feature in Appraisal Firewall.
Vacation Hold allows you to setup your profile so that you stay on the panels you are on today, but are not able to automatically be assigned orders.
Performing an inspection and keeping a safe social distance can both be accomplished at the same time. As you know, there are steps you can take while you are in someone’s home touching light switches, electrical panels, handrails, doorknobs, etc. to be vigilant. After all, without your important work, loan origination stops.
COVID-19 Procedures & Protocols Form
We are reading blogs and news stories about what some appraisers are doing to help keep themselves and their loved ones safe. Many appraisers have started using what they’re calling a “Procedures & Protocols Form” when they receive an order assignment. To better identify what the assignment entails from a safety and health perspective, you could use this as a disclosure template and conditionally accept assignments based on your lender client completing the form and ensuring that they are assigning you a safe appraisal request.
- Click Here for a sample of the COVID-19 Procedures and Protocols Form we have seen making its way around the internet (and thanks to Frederick E. Rossiter for his blog post!).
Some appraisers are even cancelling assignments and not accepting new assignments for the time being to stay healthy and protect themselves and their loved ones. If you are going down this route, we suggest using the Vacation Hold feature in Appraisal Firewall.
Vacation Hold allows you to setup your profile so that you stay on the panels you are on today, but are not able to automatically be assigned orders.
- Click Here to review a quick How-To guide on using Vacation Hold.