As many of you know, we're making some changes to Aurora based on your feedback. To read about the current status of Aurora and future fixes and changes, click here to read a letter sent to all our customers from Dave Biggers, Chairman and owner.

With today's Aurora update, you're going to see a significant change to the way you manage your files and order status in WinTOTAL, making it a lot easier. Having to switch back and forth between the Files and Tracking PowerView wasn't nearly as efficient as being able to manage all your files from the same screen. Now you'll be able to see all your orders and reports at once, set and view report status quicker, and sending status messages to clients is even easier.

You can take advantage of documentation, video and live help to get up to speed on this pretty straightforward change:

• Watch a short Training Video
• Check out the Help documentation
• Sign up for a free, short webinar

Here are some details. On the same screen as your Files PowerView — see image below — you'll see all the current "status" folders you have in the Tracking PowerView now. You'll also see a virtual folder named "Recently Modified," showing files created or changed in the last 30 days, sorted by date.

Click for larger

In addition to making status tracking easier now, this will make it possible in the very near future for you to make your own virtual tracking folders, based solely on criteria that you can create easily with a Wizard. For example, you'll be able to instantly create a folder called "John's Unpaid Reports for XYZ Lending". It will always be up to date, and show what XYZ Lending owes you at a glance.

With this update you'll also quickly see more report details when you click on a file. With a click each report can "auto expand," so you'll see the details about its status and history as well as bringing many of the most helpful tools within reach. You'll have a central place to set and send status messages to clients, expand multiple files at once to see the subject photo (can't remember which double wide you appraised last week?), search by proximity, mark reports as paid, export to QuickBooks and many others. We'll soon add "Amount Due" and several other items to this view as well. Click here for more information.

Finally, this update gives you 100% control over status messages sent to your clients. You'll have complete control over what goes out, when and to whom because we're removing all automated status messages. Now nothing will go out without you knowing about it. You'll know that messages are going to the client's preferred e-mail address, you'll be able to CC other recipients, choose the subject and preview the message before it actually goes out. The control is 100% in your hands.

Click here for more information on status messages.

These are just some of the improvements and bug fixes we're making based on your feedback. Send your suggestions, comments and questions to debug@alamode.com.

Start me up

While existing and new home sales normalize, a strong counter trend can be seen in housing starts. January's seasonally adjusted annual rate of groundbreaking on new home construction was the highest level since 1973.

Home sales, as you're well aware, are mostly financed by companies taking little risk — they turn around and sell the note on the secondary market, and it may be backed by federal insurance to begin with. In contrast, small to medium sized local banks fund most new residential construction, in the form of business loans to local builders, not mortgages.

Because these lenders hold all the risk if the builder goes under or can't sell the home, they tend to be more conservative and tighten builders' lines of credit when they see problems coming. They have their own money on the line. A surge in housing starts, even accounting for milder January weather in much of the country, is a positive sign for the housing economy going forward.

Still under 2005 USPAP

The Appraisal Foundation reminds that the 2006 edition of USPAP was adopted with an effective date of July 1, 2006.

"The current (2005) edition of USPAP is valid until June 30, 2006," the Foundation said. "It is anticipated that the 2006 edition will be effective until December 31, 2007 (a period of 18 months). Effective with the 2008 edition, USPAP is planned to be issued on a two-year publication cycle."

Courses on the 2006 edition USPAP are scheduled to be available early this year, "well in advance of the July 1 effective date."