Which one of our appraisal expenses should we cut?

[TC]

Also, I only inspect the first floor.

TC

 

[Couch Potato]

A long time ago one of my many bosses told me to keep your overhead low and determine how many appraisals per month you need to meet expenses.

The only thing I could cut would be switching to Efax, but they don't service my area.

So, I've decided to not drive the comps.

TC

MyFax serves every area by giving toll-free numbers.

 

[Ron D. in NWA]

you can afford a car??

Home phone goes. our phone finally will upgrade to DSL soon. I will dump my satellite dish. Switched from earthlink. to a non-descript yahoo address. Those changes alone cut my expenses over $100 a month. No professional society dues to speak of... AI's recently announced "cut" is to $275 a year. Who are they fooling? Our local bar association is cheaper.

No to Supra key. cheaper paper when I buy. All supplies are vetted thru the internet and I rarely go to an office supply place if I can find it on line. "Free Shipping" saves me a bundle since the closest office store is $25. Between sales tax and gas expense, it shaves several hundred per year on supplies.

Turning the computers off at night. Ditto AC in the office. turn off the lights unless needed. I try to double up on inspections so I am doing 2 or more at a time. With slow biz that is not always an option. Also, study my maps to make sure I am taking shortest route to shoot comp pix (for farms a day of comp pictures might be a 100 mile trip or more.)

I am charging mileage for more things. BTW, 58½ ¢ per mile after July 1.

Terrel,
So how are you dealing with the houses on lock box? I can remember before I got my Supra Key sitting, waiting for someone to open a house. The cost per month "sometimes" is not as much as the headache as not having it, for me that is.

 

[Lawrence R.]

Put me in the sit and wait club. Not only did they want a king's ransom for the privilege, they wanted me to carry an umbrella policy suddenly--in case I wanted to steal the silverware...at an additional 300 bucks a year as well.

I think they just made that up to tick me off, as I protest and complain every time they quoted yet another fee for me...ah, the road of the muckraker is lined with potholes.

 

[Couch Potato]

The local Triangle MLS has the best system around IMHO. No overpriced technology, just a simple combination lock box for listings. One simply calls the appointment center to schedule a time; when the time is confirmed they give you the combination. No keys, no fees, no high-cost lock boxes, just good service.

 

[Mike Phillips]

The local Triangle MLS has the best system around IMHO. No overpriced technology, just a simple combination lock box for listings. One simply calls the appointment center to schedule a time; when the time is confirmed they give you the combination. No keys, no fees, no high-cost lock boxes, just good service.

Yeah, but does the Triangle area have that "tiny little problem" that every criminal featured on AsMW was seen there? Or is it just FL?

 

[Mr Rex]

The local Triangle MLS has the best system around IMHO. No overpriced technology, just a simple combination lock box for listings. One simply calls the appointment center to schedule a time; when the time is confirmed they give you the combination. No keys, no fees, no high-cost lock boxes, just good service.

Except that when the property goes to pending status and it is removed from Centralized showing so you have to call one of the agents. The new Tempo upgrade is slow and cumbersome, adds at least 30 minutes or more to a report.

 

[Couch Potato]

Except that when the property goes to pending status and it is removed from Centralized showing so you have to call one of the agents. The new Tempo upgrade is slow and cumbersome, adds at least 30 minutes or more to a report.

I have not had a problem getting an appointment for pending properties through Centralized Showing for an appraisal inspection.

I love the Tempo upgrade because it's so much faster and shaves 30 minutes or more off the research time. :new_all_coholic:With the upgrade I can have a PDF with page one, page two, all photos, listing history and simple stats of all the possible comps in under five minutes.
(You might be overlooking some of the features Mr. Rex)

 

[TC]

I'll never give up the Supra software that's loaded in my Palm Treo. I have two inspections tomorrow via lock-box, the last thing I want to do is set up specific times with an agent to meet me there. Money well spent IMHO.

TC

 

[Tom Eichholz]

I'll never give up the Supra software that's loaded in my Palm Treo. I have two inspections tomorrow via lock-box, the last thing I want to do is set up specific times with an agent to meet me there. Money well spent IMHO.

TC

Yep, Exactly!

Invariably, the FIRST question out of the listing agent's mouth when I am scheduling an inspection appointment is... "Do you have an I-Box key?"

Because I do have an I-Box Key, we both love being off the hook to meet at a certain time; now I always just give them a time window like the cable guy-morning or afternoon. ("Please notify the Homeowner that the Appraiser will be there sometime between 8:00 & 12:00AM. If they won't be there, please ask them to NOT lock the storm door, NOT set the alarm, NOT leave their guard dog inside the house, and to ask their nosey neighbor NOT to call the police, thank you!")

(One time I told an older couple who were selling their house that I'd be there at around 9:00AM. You guessed it! A traffic problem and so I'm running just a little late, (maybe 6 Blocks away), but at about 9:02AM my cell phone rings and the lady says, "Where's the Appraiser???").