Cool Tools (free And Cheap)

[djd09]

CU

better be careful using the words 'free and cheap' on an appraiser site. you may get an AMC overload.

 

[Raven59]

Weird...I was typing just explanation why there were no better comparables available for a SFR report and at the same time I received an email from the AMC asking for more commentary and another comp. It's like they knew what I was typing.

 

[TRESinc]

Weird...I was typing just explanation why there were no better comparables available for a SFR report and at the same time I received an email from the AMC asking for more commentary and another comp. It's like they knew what I was typing.

maybe they own grammarly

 

[Deleted member 152047]

anyone who thinks the data they enter using any free program is going to be left alone needs to move back to 1985, regardless of who may or may not have given out a link.

But there is a stark difference. If you consider how grammarly works, it is essentially keylogging everything. This is similar to a method that hackers use to get your personal information. While grammarly has the best of intentions; 1) do you really want them to be able to pull up everything that you have ever typed on your computer? And, 2) how secure are their files? If a hacker can get into their files, they would have access to millions of people's most personal information.

 

[TRESinc]

But there is a stark difference. If you consider how grammarly works, it is essentially keylogging everything. This is similar to a method that hackers use to get your personal information. While grammarly has the best of intentions; 1) do you really want them to be able to pull up everything that you have ever typed on your computer? And, 2) how secure are their files? If a hacker can get into their files, they would have access to millions of people's most personal information.

potato potato how many appraisers use gmail and have sent their confidential files to clients and violated USPAP by furnishing a copy to someone who is not the client nor intended user? like the saying goes, nothing in life is free..

 

[Deleted member 152047]

potato potato how many appraisers use gmail and have sent their confidential files to clients and violated USPAP by furnishing a copy to someone who is not the client nor intended user? like the saying goes, nothing in life is free..

I don't agree with this, but don't want to go down that rabbit hole

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

The free Adobe reader has a free “take a snapshot” feature that lets you copy and paste images or text into reports word documents etc.

Snagit can do things snapshot cannot but the way I use PDF files and create forms, I use snapshot 20 times to once with Snagit.

And I will stick to grammar check via WordPerfect or Word

 

[Digger88]

whats the deal with snagit? something this useful im told is a must but can someone tell me what exactly this does 10 times or more per day? if it can save me time im down for it. fyi i use print screen but only for this site. what are you "snagging" to put in an appraisal?

 

[Deleted member 152047]

whats the deal with snagit? something this useful im told is a must but can someone tell me what exactly this does 10 times or more per day? if it can save me time im down for it. fyi i use print screen but only for this site. what are you "snagging" to put in an appraisal?

Aerials, comp maps, zoning maps, future land use maps, costar graphs/charts/tables, legal descriptions (from deeds), surveys, building sketches, etc.

The primary timesavers are the following:
1. when you use snagit, you select the area that you copy instead of copying 1, 2, or 3+ screens of stuff
2. you can set it so that when a selection is made, it automatically is placed on the clipboard and is ready for pasting into a word doc
3. adding text, arrows, lines, etc. is much easier for exhibits (I like to overlay the zoning description and add an arrow to indicate the subject on PDF zoning maps- see attached)
4. you can record what you see on your screen if you want to show someone how to do something, or record whatever

 

[NachoPerito]

more Free:
Google Earth Pro
Sketchup (drawing floor plans)
ActivePresenter (Recording the screen for tutorials)
Snipping Tool (but maybe I will give Snagit a try since everyone is crazy about it)