Non-lender form debuts to much acclaim
February 08, 2007
More room to describe the intended user and use. An expanded Improvements section without the 1004-style check boxes. The ability to really drill down on highest and best use. Better and more effective disclaimers that protect you. There's a lot to like about WinTOTAL's new General Purpose - Residential form, a new non-lender form available right now to WinTOTAL users. Read More...
Don’t just target homeowners for non-lender work - drill down on FSBOs
February 08, 2007
You may have heard that the percentage of sales not involving a real estate agent -- For Sale By Owners, or FSBOs -- is declining. According to National Association of REALTORS® data, 12 percent of home sales are agent-free today, down from 13 percent in 2005. But with 2006 being the third-highest year on record for existing home sales, 12 percent is more than three quarters of a million FSBOs per year. Read More...
Identity protection and fraud deterrence coming in robust, convenient new program called SureDocs
January 25, 2007
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. It will debut as a "public beta" — meaning you can try it for free, and provide (we hope) unfiltered feedback on the product — starting January 30. Appraiser SureDocs is a powerful tool you can use to protect your identity and the integrity of your reports, as well as maintain control over your intellectual property. Read More...
National media explores issue of appraisal report ownership
January 25, 2007
A new article by a nationally-syndicated real estate columnist is bringing the issue of data stripping and ownership of appraisal reports to the fore. Read More...
Value-skewing potential of buyer incentives increasing
January 04, 2007
Some time ago we wrote in this space about the unique problem of accounting for buyer incentives in a normalizing housing economy with a lot of inventory for sale. Based on the response, it was an issue you care about and are dealing with a lot. Now, more economists and housing sector watchers are paying attention, too. Read More...
Katrina recovery program burned by AVMs; “Road Home” will use appraisals instead
January 04, 2007
The use of Automated Valuation Models (AVMs) to calculate property damage in hurricane and flood ravaged New Orleans was recently discontinued, with government officials conceding the AVM values were often drastically off the mark. In most cases pre-storm appraisals will be used instead. Read More...
2007 real estate outlook: Some are bearish, but many optimistic for recovery
January 04, 2007
A new year brings fresh new looks at the housing road ahead. We took a look at a number of regional and national 2007 real estate forecasts. Experts are telling us that they are guardedly optimistic the coming year will see a rebound in sales, probably near midyear, steady interest rates if not a drop, and a likely bump in the amount of work for residential appraisers. Read More...
Time to think about your 2006 tax return
December 15, 2006
We make and sell software and technology, we don't give tax advice. Hopefully, you already seek professional help with your business' books. If so, consult your tax professional about whether these year-end business and personal tax tips might be right for you. Read More...
Market to Zillow’s sales-minded users
December 15, 2006
Zillow, the online interface that lets homeowners and housing voyeurs estimate the value of real estate from public record data, announced last week it would begin allowing users to post home sale listing information on the site. Read More...
The Exact way to load WinTOTAL on to your new PC
December 15, 2006
The most efficient way to have your new machine up and running WinTOTAL in no time is to use Exact, which is bundled with the Vault online backup service. Read More...