Appraisal Scoop

How To Value New or Existing Photovoltaic (Solar) Systems for Residential and Commercial Properties

This spreadsheet tool developed by Sandia National Laboratories and Solar Power Electric™ is intended to help determine the value of a new or existing photovoltaic (PV) system installed on residential and commercial properties. It is designed to be used by real estate appraisers, mortgage underwriters, credit analysts, real property assessors, insurance claims adjusters and PV industry sales staff.

For appraisers, the inputs specific to PV in the Appraisal Institute’s Residential Green and Energy Efficient Addendum can be used as inputs to PV Value™. (click here for more information)

Valuing a PV system is done using an income capitalization approach, which considers the present value of projected future energy production along with estimated operating and maintenance costs that are anticipated to occur during the PV module power production warranty timeframe.

This tool was created with Microsoft Excel® 2007, and works with both Excel® 2007 and 2010. Use of this spreadsheet requires activating macros, ActiveX controls and data connections. A detailed user manual accompanies this tool and can be found in the download area below. Sandia Labs hosted a webinar describing PV Value™ on December 7, 2011, which can be viewed at the source site below.

Updates will be made as necessary, with a new version released on or before September 1, 2012. The current version is 1.0.

Please contact Geoff Klise at Sandia National Laboratories with questions or comments related to PV Value™. He can be reached at: [email protected]

PV Value™ v1.0
(zip file 360 KB)

PV Value™ v1.0 User Manual (SAND2012-0682P)
(pdf 1.3 MB)

Please contact Geoff Klise at Sandia National Laboratories with questions or comments related to PV Value™. He can be reached at: [email protected]

SOURCE: http://energy.sandia.gov/?page_id=8047

Geek's Corner: Magic Plan App Can Create Floor Plans By Photographing Corners of a Room

I learned of of the MagicPlan App from the Photography For Real Estate (PFRE) blog.

According to PFRE:

"The app is free for download. The final floor plan is free for non-commercial use (includes a watermark) and $1.10 USD for commercial use (with the watermark removed)."

"Running this app takes some practice. It took me several rooms to get the hang of selecting the corners of the room even though you can’t see the exact corner of the room because of furniture or drapes etc. But once you get the hang of it, you can put together floor plans very quickly. This app makes it very easy to add floor plans as a product to your real estate photography services if you are inclined to do that."

Geek's Corner - Hand-e-holderTM Products launches new iPadTM/tablet holding device

Looking for a way to take your "handheld" mobile device into the field? Look no further!

An ergonomic holding solution was launched with the debut of Hand-e-holderTM, the innovative product of Hand-e-holder Products, Inc. (HPI)

The Hand-e-holder’s design gives users the natural relaxed feel of an Apple® iPadTM /tablet resting ergonomically in the palm of their hand. This provides a secure hold that lets users carry the iPad /tablet with confidence.

When viewing the iPad /tablet, Hand-e-holder’s 360-degree rotation lets users determine the most comfortable position unique to them. The adjustable strap fits all hand sizes, small to large. Depending on the environment, the Hand-e-holder may be used with an antibacterial strap that can be substituted for the standard strap.

When not holding the iPad /tablet with the Hand-e-holder, the patented hand plate allows the iPad /tablet to be used with a variety of accessories while still maintaining the 360-degree rotation capability.

The Hand-e-holderTM slides into the patented Adaptor Plate. This is the key component between the Hand-e-holder and any of its accessories. The Adaptor Plate comes with two pre-drilled holes to allow mounting to Hand-e-holder accessories or other OEM solutions. The Adaptor Plate comes in a clear acrylic or a black ABS matte finish. All accessories using the Adaptor Plate come with a retention pin. The pin slides through the top of the Adaptor Plate to retain the Hand-e-holder and attached iPad/tablet device in the event the Adaptor Plate is rotated beyond 90 degrees.

Accessories also include display stands. Stands vary from a clear stand with a black polished teardrop-shaped base, to a rectangular base either in a polished black or clear acrylic with a wireless keyboard grove for resting a keyboard. A mini tri-pod, that is collapsible, portable and has non-skid footings, can be used on a multitude of surfaces. C-clamps, in 1.5 and 2.5 inch models, can be used to attach a tablet to the edge of a counter, under the kitchen cabinets, or to trade show and store displays. The C-clamp has a curved channel allowing for it to be attached to irregular shaped objects, for instance pipes. Heavy duty spring clamp accessories also allow attachment to work environments where there are no horizontal surfaces; such as engine compartments or workshops.

To learn more about the Hand-e-holder, visit http://www.handeholder.com  or call (734) 665-7052.

Geek's Corner - Looking for an "Appraiser's Camera"? Check out the Samsung HZ10W (or HZ15W)

The 10.2 mega-pixel Samsung HZ10W sets a new standard for the mega-zoom category, offering a high-performance, ultra-wide 24mm Schneider lens with 10x optical zoom that allows shooters to be more creative and flexible when taking digital images.

The Samsung HZ10W is aimed at fans of wide-angle photography. And what Appraiser isn't! The HZ10W offers a 24 - 240mm equivalent focal range, a generous wide angle to a useful telephoto.

The HZ10W offers a host of manual controls, including the ability to adjust shutter speed, aperture, exposure, and focus. The camera also incorporates both Optical and Digital Image Stabilization to help reduce image blur.

The HZ10W gives shooters the ability to capture video in 720p high-definition at 30 frames-per-second (fps), and thanks to H.264 compression, users can record video for longer periods of time, allowing them to better utilize the remaining memory capacity on their memory card.

Additionally, shooters can utilize Optical Image Stabilization and the camera's 10x optical zoom while recording video, as well as Samsung's Successive Recording mode, which allows the user to pause and then resume filming without having to save the clips as individual files.

Appraiser's Review:

Samsung HZ10W or HZ15W (difference is number of max pixels). As cheap as $155 on Amazon, which is a steal !!! I paid about $235 for mine when I bought it 6 months ago. Great wide angle lens. This is a much better camera than the V705. http://tinyurl.com/y658fko Dollar for dollar, this is the best camera for appraisal work currently on the market.

I completely checked out the specs on this camera before I got it. It has manual mode which is something I like for more control. Of course, it has a slew of automatic functions. Did I mention it has a built-in microphone so you can add audio notes to a photo? And HD 780p video. Overall, as I said, a super camera for the dollars. And it’s a single lens – not dual lens like the Kodak. With the same 24mm wide angle capability.

Leland Hill - Certified General Real Estate Appraiser

Geek's Corner - Pogoplug™ Office Gateway - Easy Syncing and Sharing of Files

Late last year Cloud Engines, Inc. unveiled its second generation of the award winning Pogoplug multimedia sharing device. The new Pogoplug hardware sports a new design boasting multiple USB ports supporting up to 4 external drives for expanded data capacity. The new Pogoplug also gives users improved sharing capabilities, an easy drag-and-drop interface to create engaging multi-media slide shows, seamless media playback, and enhanced sharing with friends on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.

Pogoplug acts like a gateway from your home or office through the Internet. It allows you to access, share and even stream your personal digital media directly to anybody, anywhere in the world. Your content always remains physically in your home or office, making it secure, convenient and available on your terms. Pogoplug is perfect for those individuals with increasingly mobile lifestyles and small businesses in need of simple, inexpensive mobile data access solutions.

NEW HARDWARE The new Pogoplug design retains the simplicity and ease of use of the original while listening to consumer feedback and adding the ability to directly connect up to 4 external hard drives at once. The resulting product boasts an improved design with greatly improved functionality for users with multiple drives and an increasing need for easy synching and sharing of their digital libraries.

NEW FEATURES Automatically Synchronize Photos, Videos, Music and Other Selected Content.  Users can synchronize their Pogoplug with their PC or Mac to automatically import new content from popular applications such as iTunes, Windows Media Player, and iPhoto. This feature allows Pogoplug owners to “set it and forget it” and always have access to new photos, videos and music from anywhere on the Internet.

 Drag-and-Drop Music and Photo Slideshows Users can easily create and share fun and engaging slideshows using their stored photos, videos and music. Creating a slideshow with Pogoplug is as simple as drag and drop, and sharing these slideshows is just as easy as ever. Once a user’s link is shared and viewed, their slideshow will immediately begin with the photos, videos and music they selected, playing seamlessly in the viewer’s browser.

Easier Sharing with Pogoplug Address Book Pogoplug Address Book greatly improves the speed and ease of use of sharing with a user’s friends and family. Pogoplug automatically remembers all email addresses entered in a user’s previous shares - even if that share no longer exists – and makes them available in an easy to use address book to make sharing truly one click away.

Global Search Across Multiple Drives and Pogoplugs With support for multiple drives on a single Pogoplug (and multiple Pogoplugs on the same account) Pogoplug has added "global" search support across all of a user’s Pogoplugs and drives. Search filters are now a distinct feature, allowing users to view all of their photos, videos and music in a single organized view, or to search for a specific file across all Pogoplugs and drives.

Organize Your Music, Photos and Videos Pogoplug automatically displays music by Album, Artist and Genre, and shows cover art for quick access to a user’s favorite music. Photos are now displayed by photo timeline and videos are only a click away, including the ability to watch a preview in the thumbnail itself.

Play movies directly from my.pogoplug.com, or even to the iPhone Pogoplug now supports the playback of videos directly from a Pogoplug, with support for the most popular cameras, video cameras and mobile phones. Movies can be shared and viewed directly from the Pogoplug website – or even from an iPhone!

Pricing and Availability Orders for Pogoplug at http://www.pogoplug.com  -  The Pogoplug has a suggested retail price of $129, with no additional service fees. 

USEFUL LINKS

Pogoplug web site: www.pogoplug.com  ·

Product photos: www.flickr.com/photos/pogoplug  ·

Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/pogoplug  ·

Pogoplug online community: www.pogoplugged.com

ABOUT CLOUD ENGINES, INC. Founded in 2007 by experienced entrepreneurs from the digital media and security industries, Cloud Engines is located in San Francisco, California. The company was formed with a mission to change the way personal content is stored and distributed over the Internet. The Cloud Engines philosophy is that by making a product simple, open and affordable, the community will participate in making it better. For more information, please visit our Web site, www.cloudengines.com. 

Fannie Mae Announcement 09-14 Requires Submission of Electronic Appraisal Reports in MISMO XML Standard

In Announcement 09-14, New Data Delivery Requirements, Fannie Mae announced changes to the loan delivery file and the Uniform Residential Loan Application (Form 1003) to accommodate new data elements required by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).

Download Fannie Mae Announcement 09-14-Electronic Appraisal Reports

These changes are intended to result in enhanced identification and accountability of key parties in the mortgage transaction and are another step in Fannie Mae’s ongoing efforts to improve loan quality.

In the coming months, Fannie Mae will announce a series of other policies intended to improve loan quality, including the implementation of a robust collateral valuation analysis process, enhanced credit policy guidance, improvements to Fannie Mae’s quality control processes, and additional guidance on lender quality control activities.

In support of the loan quality initiative, this Announcement includes information about the following:

• Submission of Electronic Appraisal Reports
• Enhancements to the Loan Delivery File Format
• Mortgage Fraud Reporting

 

Sarah Vetault of Tucson, AZ - www.ComplineGroup.com asked on the WinTOTAL Users Group:

"I just got this announcement from Fannie Mae requiring submission of electronic appraisal reports in MISMO XML format by 2010.  I wonder what this means from our end.  Is the good old industry standard emailed PDF going bye-bye, forcing us to use slice/dice/rip-the-data portals for mortgage work?  Or will the lenders rip the data themselves out of our pdf files for submission to FNMA?  We are definitely living in interesting times. "

What are YOUR thoughts?

Geek's Corner - 12 Mega-Pixel, 24mm Ultra-Wide Angle Compact Digital Camera

On Feb 23, 2009 Samsung Electronics America unveiled a new 12 mega-pixel compact digital camera boasting a 24mm ultra-wide angle Schneider lense.

Good quality, ultra-wide, compact cameras have been hard to come by recently . . .so this is a welcome announcement for appraisers!

Featuring a brushed stainless steel finish, the TL320 is as stylish as it is advanced. The camera offers a compact form factor highlighted by two analog dials found on top of the TL320’s body. The two dials give the TL320 a retro look and provide users with the ability to quickly glance down at the camera for an approximate readout of remaining battery life and memory capacity. 

 

The TL320 features a Schneider lens, renowned for quality and trusted by professionals worldwide, and offers consumers a more versatile 24mm ultra-wide angle focal length paired with a powerful 5x optical zoom.

Utilizing the same advanced technologies found in its revolutionary AMOLED televisions, Samsung was able to incorporate a three-inch, 460,000-dot HVGA AMOLED screen in the new TL320, the largest AMOLED screen on a digital camera to date.

Samsung’s new TL320 also offers advanced high-definition video recording at a resolution of 720p, as well as HDMI connectivity through the use of a cradle to view one’s video and photos in HD clarity on an HDTV.

For added stability and blur-free images, Samsung has outfitted the TL320 with both Optical and Digital Image Stabilization. The shooter has the option of simply using Optical Image Stabilization or choosing Dual Image Stabilization, combining the strengths of Optical and Digital Image Stabilization.

For the more advanced user who prefers to have more control over camera settings, the TL320 offers aperture priority, shutter priority, full manual shooting, as well as Samsung’s unique Advanced Picture Mode. For users looking for simplicity when it comes to taking digital images, the TL320 offers a comprehensive suite of automatic controls designed to help them capture better images with ease, including the camera’s Smart Auto mode.

In addition to Smart Auto, the TL320 also incorporates Samsung’s proprietary Smart Album program. Smart Album is useful tool which allows users to easily search for a specific image they have saved on their memory card. Users can also take advantage of the TL320’s Face Detection, Blink Detection, Smile Shot, and Beauty Shot technologies. Designed to help capture better portraits and group shots of family and friends.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/cll9q3 

 

Freeware - 1004MC Form in Excel - Available for download

George Hatch has developed a build of the 1004MC form in Excel that he's making available for download to anyone who wants to use it.  Download 1004MC   He figured, in these tough economic times, there might be a few appraisers that could use a tool like this in lieu of spending money to update or change their appraisal software.

George says, "This is a pretty basic version, but I have built the math functions into the grids. Several people have already downloaded it and worked with it a little and so far everything looks to be functional"

There are a couple appraisers who have already figured out how to export data dumps from their MLS systems and how to use the spreadsheet functions in Excel to automatically sort and analyze the data and populate the grid in the form.

If George can get ahold of one of those setups or otherwise figure how to do it himself, he'll be updating this form at some point in the future. Hopefully a little automation will eventually smooth the way for those people who choose to take advantage of it.

The download is a freebie, and is available at the email address listed at the top of the attached pdf. http://box.net/shared/3nx558czgn or Download 1004MC   Click here for a pdf preview: Download 1004MC

Now for the legal stuff:

Note: Password to unprotect the form portion of this page is "123"

This Excel file was built as a freeware application, but the user assumes all responsibility for content and use. Please check the contents of the form itself and the functionality of this Excel file before you use it.

Fannie/Freddie do not allow modifications to content of the form itself. Users of this Excel file are welcome to otherwise modify it to suit their own needs, but if/when you do, please don't attribute the modified version to me.

Version date is 01/14/2009; if you find errors or suggested modifications, please send them to me at [email protected]

Click on COMMENTS for additional information!

Geek's Corner: Panasonic DMC-LX3K - Next "Best" Real Estate Photography Camera?

OK . . .It's expensive . . .but WOW! is it packed with features and an ultra-wide 24mm lens!

Designed for easy, creative shooting, and high-performance in low-light conditions, the Panasonic DMC-LX3 features a F2.0 24mm Leica DC Vario-Summicron lens, 10.1 megapixels and an ultra-sensitive 1/1.63-inch CCD developed specifically for this model.

By combining a high-quality lens and sensor ready for a variety of shooting conditions with a wide-range of accessories and manual controls, the DMC-LX3 is ideal for professional photographers and serious amateurs looking for a compact digital camera that furthers their creative photography.

F2.0 24mm ultra wide-angle Leica DC Vario-Summicron lens. The F2.0 is about twice as bright as a F2.8 lens and can shoot at higher shutter speeds to capture clear, blur-free images in dimly lit environments. In addition, the 24mm lens captures approximately a 213-percent larger viewing angle than a normal 35mm camera and 136% larger compared to a 28mm wide-angle lens.

Technical Details:

10.1-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality poster-size prints

2.5x wide-angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized zoom lens

3.0-inch high-resolution LCD screen; HD video capture

Classic SLR-like manual operations include selectable AF spot/multi AF area, customization button, aperture, shutter, program and full manual modes

Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)

This item is due to be released in September. 

Price from Amazon.com is $499.95. Click here.

Additional Information:

• Digital Photography Review
• Panasonic Site

Free Webinar Wednesday May 7th - Motion F5 Mobile Field Tool - Motion Toughens Up with Semi-Rugged Slate Tablet PC for Appraisers

Appraisal Scoop author John Hill, from Allegiance Technology, and Motion Computing are sponsoring a webinar tomorrow for people that want to learn about the Motion F5 Field Tablet PC.

The Motion F5 Mobile Field Tool is the first semi-rugged slate PC designed specifically for the mobile appraiser that combines durability, mobility and integrated functionality with the benefits and convenience of tablet input. See our Motion F5 Brochure.

The nice part is that if you are thinking about one of these tablets, there is an opportunity for webinar attendees to purchase one for $1,000 off the list price.

Sign Up HERE! - F5 Webinar hosted by Allegiance Technology

The F5 is IP54 rated to meet the demands of the job from dusty construction sites to the occasional drop from a vehicle or exposure to a rainstorm. In fact, the F5 is designed to protect from the top three causes of notebook damage, which continue to be drops, liquid spills and objects being dropped on to notebooks.

Additional F5 capabilities include:

• Thin and light with high performance capabilities (approximately 3 lbs.)
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®, and optional integrated mobile broadband
• Shock, drop, vibration and temperature resistance
• Vehicular docking capabilities
• Intuitive buttons and triggers
• Integrated barcode scanner (optional)
• Integrated RFID reader offering quick and simple inventory tracking and management
• 2.0 megapixel camera
• Integrated fingerprint reader to simplify password management while increasing data security
• Natural handwriting interface for convenient data capture while standing or walking
• Speak Anywhere® audio technology for convenient access to voice notes and advanced communication