To:      All WinTOTAL Aurora (version 5) users
From:  Adam Calvery, VP Appraisal Products, a la mode, inc.
Re:     Aurora:  An update and three announcements

Today’s WinTOTAL Aurora update is now available on our servers. To download it, click the “Get Updates” button on the toolbar in your Appraisal Desktop.  You can read the full release notes below or find them, along with other important information, on the Aurora Status website.  To visit the site, click here.

There are three things I need to make sure you’re aware of today, so I apologize for the length of this e-mail in advance. 

1.  The new a la mode GP Residential form is now available.  The feedback from appraisers who downloaded the form from the Aurora Status website and have already used it has been overwhelmingly positive.  It looks like our forms team hit a home run.  As I mentioned in my last update e-mail, the GP Residential is the first in a complete set of “GP” and consumer-centric forms.  The first round will all be legal sized, and then we’ll follow up with letter sized.  You can find this form in the new “a la mode General Purpose Forms and Addenda” folder in your Contents, along with a GP Residential Addendum and an Additional Comparables form.  We’re currently working on a GP Land form that we’ll have available for review on the Aurora Status website at the end of this month.

2.  The new Windows Vista operating system is scheduled for public release January 30th.  We've been working since early last fall to make sure WinTOTAL is compatible with Microsoft's new operating system.  We've been testing it internally for the last month on Vista (in fact I run Aurora on Vista daily), and many of our beta appraiser team will install Vista once it’s released.  Once they do, they’ll start putting Aurora through its paces on Vista in their everyday production environments.  Until our betas have worked with Vista for at least a month, we won’t be ready to publicly announce that WinTOTAL is ready to run on Vista.

We've put up a page on the Aurora Status website that talks about Vista and WinTOTAL.  I'd encourage you to check it out.  I will say this though:  Vista is very cool, but there really aren’t any new “must have” features.  Unless you have a screw loose like me and always want to get anything new the second it comes out, there’s really no rush to get Vista and install it on your daily production machine.  To visit our Vista page, click here.

3.  Appraiser SureDocs goes to public beta on January 30th.  Protecting your identity and the integrity of the data in your reports is a constant concern.  To help you do that we’ve built Appraiser SureDocs.  When the public beta is ready, you'll get another e-mail from me.  We'll have a website up that will go into much greater detail, answer all your questions, and have a link for you to download and try Appraiser SureDocs.  The public beta period will last about a month, and we'll be looking to get your unfiltered feedback.  I'd like to briefly hit on some of Appraiser SureDocs’ high points here. 

• Once Appraiser SureDocs is installed, you'll have it as a new option when signing reports.  The SureDocs method of signing provides the added security of identity verification as well as the tracking of data points in the report.  These two elements combined prevent fraudulent use of your signature or modification of the appraisal report without your permission. 

• When signing with SureDocs, it inserts a unique serial number above each signature that represents the name, date, subject, signatories, appraised value, pages and other items in the report. This serial number changes each time your signature is applied, and that number points back to a record of the report and its data points on our SureDocs servers.  This serves to protect you against having your signature lifted and applied to other reports, and against data being altered in reports you've completed and delivered via SureDocs.  Also, it adds a cover page explaining the serial number and how your client or eventual appraisal user can verify the authenticity of the report.

• There are two other benefits to Appraiser SureDocs as well.  It's a completely GLB-compliant method of report delivery, and can also be used outside WinTOTAL as a stand-alone program. 

Again, the public beta will begin on January 30th, and we'll have a website up with much more information and a free download link. 

Thanks for your time today, and thank you for your business. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Adam Calvery
VP, Appraisal Products
a la mode, inc.

WinTOTAL Aurora (v5) – January 16, 2007 Update

This update contains the new General Purpose Residential forms and many other updated forms.

The GP Residential is the first in a complete set of non-lender forms we’re developing that will ultimately include a variety of other general purpose and consumer-centric forms.  The first versions of these forms will be legal sized, and then we'll put out letter sized versions as well.  As each of these is developed they'll be posted to the Aurora Status website so you'll have a chance to provide feedback and help shape the final product.

Forms - New (US)

• General Purpose Residential [Signature] [1/2007][Lgl]
• General Purpose Residential [No Signature] [1/2007][Lgl]
• General Purpose Residential Addendum [1/2007][Lgl]
• Rels Valuation Desktop - Central Advantage [06/2006]
• Rels Valuation Desktop - Local Advantage [11/2006]
• GreenLink Desktop Valuation [Ver 2.1 - 12/06]

Forms – Updated (US)

• ERC [Rev. 09/03]
• Manufactured/Mobile Home In-Park Appraisal [USPAP 2003]
• 71B [Rev. 8/77]
• 71B [Rev. 8/77][Y2K][Old]
• Description of Materials [HUD-92005 10/84][Rev. 2002]

Forms - Updated (Canadian)

• Desktop Residential Appraisal Report [French]
• [3x5/Manual] Commercial Comparable Photos
• [3x5/Manual] Commercial Listings Photos
• [3x5/Manual] Commercial Rentals Photos
• [4x6/Manual] Commercial Listings Photos
• [4x6/Manual] Commercial Rentals Photos

Forms – Updated keyboard navigation (US)

• HomeFocus Desktop Valuation [07/2006]
• HomeFocus Desktop Valuation [12/05]
• HomeFocus Value in Excess Report
• Mobile Home [Y2K]
• NARA Residential Review 2002 [Rev. 01/04]
• NARA Residential Review Short Form 2006 [2001]
• Square Foot Appraisal Form 1007 [Ltr Digital]
• Addendum to the Appraisal of HUD-Owned Property
• Addendum to Uniform Residential Loan Application [HUD-92900-A 04/2004][VA 26-1802a 3/98]
• Appraisal Repair Addendum [Fannie Mae NPDC]
• Appraisal Repair Addendum [Fannie Mae NPDC]
• Builder's Certification [HUD-92541 4/2001]
• Conditional Commitment D.E. Appraised Value [HUD-92800.5B 9/04]
• Condo/PUD Addendum - 465 A [Y2K]
• Condo/PUD Addendum - 465 B [Y2K]
• Condominium Project Addendum [03/05][Addendum to 1004C]
• Environmental Compliance Record [Rev. 7/01]
• Estimates of Market Rent by Comparison [HUD-92273 07/2003]
• Estimates of Market Rent by Comparison [old]
• Ground Lease Analysis [Fannie Mae]
• Ground Lease Analysis [Freddie Mac]
• HomeFocus Reconsideration Of Value Response
• Important Notice to Homebuyers [HUD-92900-B 12/04]
• Manufactured Home Addendum [FHLMC Form 70B][Ltr][Rev. 10/2003]
• Manufactured Home Appraisal Report Addendum [old Form 1004C][6-2003][CA popup]
• Master Residential Appraisal Amendment
• Master Residential Appraisal Worksheet
• Photograph Addendum [4 Digital/Small Photos/Lgl]
• Photograph Addendum [6 Digital/Small Photos/Lgl]
• Photograph Addendum w/sig. block [4 Digital/Small Photos/Lgl]
• Pre-Foreclosure Addendum
• Real Estate Owned (REO) Addendum
• Repair and Maintenance Addendum
• Request for Environmental Information [Form RD 1940-20][4-06]
• Square Foot Appraisal Form 1007 [Lgl Digital]
• Square Foot Appraisal Form 1007 [Lgl]
• Square Foot Appraisal Form 1007 [Ltr]
• URAR PUD Addendum - Individual Unit
• USDA Rural Development Adequacy
• USDA Rural Development Guaranteed Rural Housing [01/04]
• USDA Rural Development Guaranteed Rural Housing [Rev. 9/2002]
• Warranty of Completion of Construction [HUD-92544 8/92][Rev. 8/2002]

Forms – Updated keyboard navigation (Canadian)

• [Digital/Small] Comparable Photos Interior page
• [Digital/Small] Comparable Photos page
• Square Foot Appraisal Form 1007 [Lgl]
• Square Foot Appraisal Form 1007 [Ltr]
• Table of Contents [Digital/Medium Photo][old]
• Table of Contents [Digital/Medium Photo][old]

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