Appraisal Scoop

Press Release: ClickFORMS & Apex Software Partner In Tech Support and Programming Development

San Jose, CA, March 5, 2008—Bradford Technologies, Inc., the leading developer of innovative, hassle-free appraisal products, and Apex Software, the market leader in sketching solutions for the real estate valuation market, announced today a strategic partnership to benefit their mutual customers.  The result will be a more streamlined integration of Bradford Technologies’ ClickFORMS appraisal form software with the Apex v4 Medina sketcher.

Further, the partnership will provide a new level of enhanced support to Bradford Technologies and Apex Software customers for a better overall user experience.  As part of creating a more seamless integration between ClickFORMS and Apex, Apex has developed a powerful, new integration control that will streamline the process.  In addition, Bradford Technologies support staff as well as Apex software will be rigorously cross trained on all product features.   

According to Jeff Bradford, Bradford Technologies CEO, “This new partnership will be welcomed by our many Apex users. Now that both of our respective companies’ Technical Support and Programming departments will be working together and sharing knowledge and ideas, the users can expect to see improved reliability and many enhancements. We are excited to offer this new level of service for our Apex sketching software customers.”

Randall Garrett, President of Apex Software, added, “Our new partnership with Bradford Technologies is a strong move that will provide great benefit to our mutual customers moving forward and show our renewed commitment to the appraisal industry.”

Bradford Technologies carries the full product line of Apex mobile sketching and data collection products, from mobile applications to desktop, and makes them available online in the new AppraisalWorld.com Shopping Mall. For more details about the partnership, call          800-622-8727       or visit www.bradfordsoftware.com.

On The Road: Google Maps - Don't Leave Home Without Them! (Video)

AUTHOR: Richard D Ferris - AmcAppraisalsinc.com -  Servicing all of Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, and Seminole Counties. Also servicing Deltona, Deland, and Orange City in Volusia County. - Phone 877-789-5249or email me: [email protected]

I recently purchased a Tilt from AT&T as my central tool for field data collection.  Using the Tilt, I am able to carry all of my appointments, contacts, and files in one device.  It takes some getting used to - typing or writing on a smaller screen!  But there are some definite benefits to utilizing mobile technology!

The other day, I was traveling from Florida to South Carolina, and forgot to print out my maps from Google or Microsoft Streets and Trips as I usually do.  Instead of turning around, or finding a Kinko's to get online - I took a look at the features in my Tilt.

One of the applications I downloaded was Google Maps.  I actually downloaded this from the web browser on the phone, so I knew I was getting the mobile application.  I then learned that my Tilt actually has a built in GPS!  Although scary to the paranoid conspiracy theory side of my brain - the tech geek in me viewed this as a BIG plus!

Click here to continue reading and video link . . .

Geek's Corner: Top six ways to extend battery life on mobile devices

As an appraiser, you are mobile by nature.  If you aren’t out in the field, then you aren’t making money.  Because we are all tied to and dependent upon mobile devices, maintaining and increasing battery life is a constant struggle.  Here are some tips that I came up with for Tablet PCs but obviously work with laptops and some other devices as well:

1. Screen brightness is your biggest power draw – if you can turn it down a notch you’ll get more battery time and your computer will run cooler as well.  Most tablet PCs have programmable buttons on the outside.  I use the ones on my tablet to turn the screen off when I push them – they screen comes right back when my pen gets close.
2. Install as much memory as possible in your tablet/notebook/pocket PC.  Memory is inexpensive and will let your computer run faster.  In addition, it takes much less power to retrieve information from memory than the hard drive because there is no physical movement.
3. Set your Power Saving settings to turn off the screen automatically when not in use.  These settings can be changed if you go into the Control Panel.  When you are talking with the client or crawling an attic it is easy to forget to turn off the screen.  Instead of burning extra battery, have it automatically turn off after 1-2 minutes.
4. Using your tablet or laptop on AC power?  If your computer can run without the battery being in it, completely unplug it.  This is more likely to be possible with laptops or convertible tablet PCs than with slate tablets.  Not only will you reduce the heat to the battery (which shortens life) but reduces cycling of the battery.
5. Do you have an extra battery?  Don’t let it sit out – Lithium Ion batteries deteriorate the moment they leave the factory and their capacity diminished when subjected to heat.  It may sound silly but keeping spare batteries in the refrigerator will lengthen their life.
6. Use a device like a CoolPad to elevate your tablet or laptop and keep it running cooler.  Heat is a major factor for lessening batter life and when you run your device on a flat surface with no airflow, store it in your trunk on a hot day or constantly have it charging when the battery is already charged you are shortening the overall battery life.

Author: John Hill - Phone: 877-772-5587 x101 - Enjoy the best source for Tablet PC News at TabletPCBuzz    Visit our Tablet PC Store 

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The Zaio Chronicles - Part 2 - The Summit

My name is Greg Wood.  I am a Certified General appraiser with over 18 years experience.  This post is the 2nd in a series of articles on my journey as a Zaio zone owner.  This is not intended to be a series cheer-leading for Zaio, but rather an honest portrayal of why I bought my single zone in Torrance, CA, and an ongoing diary of the ups and downs of bringing my investment operational.  See Part 1: One Man's Journey.

I'm back from the Zaio Summit in Vegas. Wow!  Last Wednesday night was the reception. We were introduced to the Zaio management team, saw a couple of examples of the high quality video ads we will have available for our local marketing soon, and then spent the rest of the evening quaffing adult beverages, munching on tasty hors d’oeuvres and talking to our fellow Zaiotistas.

Additionally, there were numerous guest appraisers, invited during the Valuation 2007 conference, who came to explore the Zaio world.I was able to speak to zone owners from Colorado, Florida, Washington, my own neck of the woods here in California, and of course to the Houston contingent led by Ken Verrett, the other “Zaio poster child” as Brian Davis calls us. (Brian should insert the photo he has of Ken and me after a hard day of geoscoring, so everyone knows what we look like—Ken’s the one with the tattoos. - click to enlarge) I was also able to speak briefly with Tom Inserra, Zaio’s CEO, as well as several others of the Zaio team.

We spent all day Thursday in a series of presentations. There is absolutely no way I can report on all the info we received, but I will try to touch on the high points. Most importantly, out of the 7564 zones in the United States, over 1400 have been sold. Those 1400 though, represent 50-65% of the prime mortgage lending areas in the country. Of the 500+ zone owners in the country, more than 200 were in attendance in Vegas.

We were introduced to Zaio’s new scoring software, Valytics 2.0. Zaio responded to many of the suggestions of the zone appraisers with this new tool, allowing the use of more than 3 comparables, and the inclusion of listings.

Click here to continue reading . . .

Video: My office has moved! And it all fits in one bag!

AUTHOR: Richard D Ferris - AmcAppraisalsinc.com -  Servicing all of Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, and Seminole Counties. Also servicing Deltona, Deland, and Orange City in Volusia County. - Phone 877-789-5249 or email me: [email protected]

Today is a good day in my office!  It marks the 5th year of being totally paperless!  And that means, I can finally get rid of the LAST box of paper files taking up a significant corner of my garage!  You know the feeling! 

As appraisers, we garner a wall full of boxes, legal size file cabinets, creative storage solutions, etc, etc!  And we have to after all - since we have to maintain our files for at least 5 years.  And that means every time I moved in the last 12 years, I hauled boxes and boxes of paper files from one storage location to the next!  Yet as of today, I officially have 5 years of digital files stored on a hard drive and various back up services!

Let me show you what it took for me to make the switch:

If you have not yet taken the plunge into the paperless office, let me tell you first off - I feel your pain!  When I first decided - I waded into the water.  I still drew field sketches on a clipboard and scanned the notes into my computer.  I still printed a full copy of the final report and stuck it into a legal sized Manila folder.   Little by little, I took steps to eliminate paper...which really meant I had to eliminate my fear of being without a physical file.

One of the ways I accomplished this was with an online fax service - Efax.com   Efax has a print driver which allows one to print anything, from any source, to a digital file.  The one aspect I found that needed to change, however, was my habit of workflow.  I've produced two short videos demonstrating my Efax and Digital Workfile workflow.  These videos will also be available in the Paperless Office Video section of the Appraisal Scoop blog. 

• Video #1 - Working with eFax - receiving an order
• Video #2 - Working with eFax - collecting data in workfiles

Click here to continue reading . . .

Free Webinar (Recorded): Pulp Fiction – Is The “Paperless Office” A Myth?

Paper cuts! Do they HAVE to hurt?!  Last Friday (October 26th) a la mode, inc. sponsored the free webinar: Pulp Fiction – Is The “Paperless Office” A Myth?   

This recorded a la mode, inc. webinar is NOT a repeat of the PowerPoint presentation given this Summer in Las Vegas or previously recorded by a la mode. It's a live step-by-step demonstration of preparing an appraisal report in a paperless environment.  Click here to watch the recorded webinar.

I covered lots of free tools and services, available from the Internet, to assist you in creating a paperless environment.  I was working LIVE to demonstrate a paperless workflow from receiving an assignment through creating an electronic workfile.

The webinar shows how tools like FolderShare, MS OneNote, PaperPort and even DiVinci, XSites, and Tablet PCs can come into play with a paperless office.

Author: Brian J. Davis, RAA - Brian Davis & Associates - Brian has over 23 years of appraisal experience in Central, IL and hosts the Appraisal Scoop blog and the WinTOTAL Users Group an email forum for appraisers.

Geek's Corner - What is (and isn’t) a Tablet PC?

John Hill, TabletPCBuzz, Owner and Allegiance Technology, CEO has agreed to help guide appraisers through some of their questions with regards to what a Tablet PC is and what it isn't!  I've attended two of John's webinars for appraisers on Tablet PCs and have learned a TON both times.  Welcome John to the Appraisal Scoop blog!

Rather than talk about “feeds and speeds”, advocate or bash certain brands or advise you on what your setup should look like, I’ve decided to help set your expectations about Tablet PCs.

A Tablet PC isn’t a Swiss army knife

It isn’t a computer that weighs 1.2 pounds, has a 17” screen and 16 hours of battery life with a built in 8 megapixel camera and is Mil-spec ruggedized for drops of 30’ and submersible to a depth of 100 meters.

It is a fully capable Windows computer - You can run ALL your Windows compatible software the same as you do on your desktop or laptop computer.  It runs the same version of QuickBooks, Microsoft Office, Apex, WinTOTAL, ClickForms, ACI and any other software without requiring a special “tablet” version.  You can get a very capable tablet PC with a weight under 4 pounds with a high resolution screen and 5+ hours of battery time.  With the right case, you can protect your tablet from rain and mishaps.

A Tablet PC won’t work where I live

I know, you are in Florida where the sun is intense, or Arizona where it is 120F in the shade, or Washington where it rains six days out of five, or Vermont where it is always twenty below.  Tablet PCs, like other mobile computers, are designed to work in a variety of environments.  The outdoor viewable screens aren’t perfect, but they are way better than any standard notebook screen.  All are rated to a wide variety of temperatures. 

Treat it the way you would any expensive device - Feel free to lock it in the trunk of your car when you don’t want it stolen – just don’t leave it there for several days in the baking sun or freezing cold.  Get some rain on the screen and you can just wipe it off – but please don’t use it to complete forms while you are in the tub with your rubber duck.  Drop it off the desk onto the floor when you trip over the cord – our rule is that any fall that would injure you would probably hurt your computer too.

To continue reading, click here . . . .

Leica DISTO™ D3 - Pocketable - Light Sensing - Tilt Measurement - Area Calculation

Matt Johnson of www.lasermeters.com and ww.appraiserdepot.com has announced the introduction of yet another product to the Leica line of laser measuring devices. 

The new DISTO™ D3 is a multi-functional "pocketable" measuring device with an integrated tilt sensor and a lighting detector that automatically switches on the display and keypad illumination.  THAT should help when working in those dark REO properties!

Measuring made easy – your versatile partner with a modern look!

• Tilt measurement The instrument's inbuilt tilt sensor quickly and simply determines tilts up to ± 45°. The tilt sensor can also provide you with true horizontal distances. Reliable measurements are therefore guaranteed.
• Multifunctional end piece Aim the instrument straight at the target point, whether measuring out of corners, slots or from edges: with this end piece you are prepared for all measuring situations. The instrument detects the end piece automatically, which helps you avoid expensive measuring errors.
• Automatic keypad and display illumination A built-in sensor detects if the environment is dark and switches on the illumination of the keypad and display. You can also measure in the dark without any problem.
• Multiple functions The Leica DISTO™ D3 can also calculate areas, volumes, room dimensions and various types of Pythagorean functions. A time delay release and enough memory for up to 20 measurements finish off the instruments wide range of functions – a concept designed to make
  your work easier.

Included items - practical and clever:

• Holster: Stows everything away neatly
• Target plate: Allows accurate measurement on a non-reflective surface.
• Wrist strap: Secures the instrument at all heights

Geek's Corner: Get Your Mojo Working with MojoPac - Transform your iPod into a portable PC

I discussed on-line backup systems for appraisers a few days ago on Appraisal Scoop.  At that time the Webopedia encyclopedia definition of backup was quoted:

(v.) To copy files to a second medium (a disk or tape)  as a precaution in case the first medium fails.

While disks and tapes are usually the first things that come to mind in terms of backups, there are other media that might also be useful.   Many of our digital devices today are capable of storing large amount of data.   For example, our digital cameras have memory cards capable of storing up to 16 GD of data and USB flash drives (thumb drives) have similar capacity - 16GB of data.

But what if I told you there's storage device, that many real estate professionals are already carrying that has even MORE capacity and functionality than those cards and drives?    What's THAT you ask? . . . .Your iPod!

That's right . . . Now there's technology that can transform your iPod, USB Hard Drive or Flash drive into a portable and private PC.  MojoPac    Just install MojoPac on any USB 2.0 compliant storage device, upload your applications and files, modify your user settings and environment preferences, and take it with you.

Every time you plug your MojoPac-enabled device into any Windows XP PC , MojoPac automatically launches your environment on the host PC. Your communication, appraisal , spreadsheet and presentation applications & files are all local and accessible. And when you unplug the MojoPac device, no trace is left behind – your information is not cached on the host PC.

MojoPac allows you to carry applications and files from your office to your home or tradeshow ALL on a device that can fit in your pocket.  Imagine being able to access your personal versions of Quicken, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Yahoo Messenger by plugging in your iPod or Flash Drive to any PC anywhere in the world.  MojoPac also allows you to keep your home life and your work life separate, but enables you to access both at the same time.  How cool is that?!

Here are some of the MojoPac Compatible Devices:

• iPods
• USB Hard Drives
• USB Flash Drives
• Cell Phones

But is MojoPac secure? 

According to their web site, MojoPac provides several layers of security and isolation to protect the MojoPac user.

• When you connect to a Host PC, MojoPac provides a layer of isolation against viruses from the Host PC, so your MojoPac device is protected.
• MojoPac creates a private environment, so none of your application data and settings, including your browsing and multimedia player history is stored on the Host PC. What happens on MojoPac stays on MojoPac.
• MojoPac is password protected - if you lose your device, no one else can access your applications.
• In addition, data encryption is supported within MojoPac either by add-on encryption software or by using a USB storage device that directly encrypts the data stored on the device. Some USB storage devices even have built-in finger print readers for added security. We recommend using data encryption with every portable storage device.

See a Demo or Download a trial

Related Articles:

• Product comparison: MojoPac vs Ceedo - Good screen shots.
• USB Flash Drive step-by-step install
• MojoPac Review

Pocket Laser Targets - Appraiser invents the "Better Mousetrap" for use with laser measuring devices

Leland Hill, of Associated Appraisers of America, spoke at the recent a la mode convention in Las Vegas on a class called Field Data Techniques.  I think that I would have called it "Boys and Their Toys" as Lee, Michael Elliot, and Rober Smoote (Apex) trotted out every manner of technology gadget for appraisers.  ONE of the things that was presented caught my attention because I know the inventor. 

Below are comments by Leland Hill on the Pocket Laser Target:

Many appraisers use Distos for measuring. I’ve been using Distos for several years. And while I can usually find a target and I’ve become very proficient using the Disto, I have found occasions where you just cannot seem to find a target without becoming very creative.

To address that problem, my good friend Paul James came up with some new Disto Targets that are just awesome. Paul took the time to research and test several different materials, finishes, and target sizes. He asked me (along with Michael Barnes) to help test them. Paul came up with a winning design using light weight aluminum that will not crack or break and fits neatly in a back pocket (that’s why non-breakable is important – in case you forget and sit on them).

Many of us also know Matt Johnson of www.LaserMeters.com and www.AppraiserDepot.com . Matt now has Paul’s targets for sale on his site:http://tinyurl.com/yrzpz3

For anybody that uses a Disto, I highly recommend that you get a set of these. I promise you they will come in handy from time to time. 

If this sounds too much like a commercial for some of you, I apologize. Neither Paul nor Matt asked me to do this – I did it on my own. I think the Targets can benefit Disto users with their workflow and just wanted to let folks know how they can get them. 

Click below to get ALL of the details on the Pocket Laser Target straight from the inventor, Paul James . . .