3.6 Crunch Time

[George Hatch]

Why does it have to be hard?

I don't recall anyone complaining before about how hard it is to find an appraisalware company they like. I think you've been having problems with one of them but I don't know if you've made any efforts with any of the others.

One of those others was saying they were just going to stick to a very basic version that treats the 3.6 as just another form in their catalog and without all the gadgets. I don't have any idea if their legacy program is stable or capable of operating at the baseline level, but in theory an app like that could possibly be viable as an interim solution (or a backup to be held in reserve) while you wait for your normal vendor to catch up.

You don't seem to be waiting for others to make your choices for you. I think your effort to get out in front is a good thing but by the same measure it requires some extra effort on your part. Can't help that.

 

[DWiley]

Why does it have to be hard?

I think it is inherently hard (and time consuming) because the appraiser has to learn two new things at once.

When I explain it internally, I tell people that for most appraisers using their forms software is like driving their car to the local grocery store. When you make a quick grocery run, there are hundreds of things that you have to do, but you don't have to think about doing them (e.g., open car door, sit in seat, put on seatbelt, hit button to open garage door, wait for door to open, step on brake, push button to start car, move gearshift to R to back out, etc. etc.) All those little things happen autonomically, because you have done them countless times before. That is the way your software is if you do any volume at all. When I was still in the field I didn't have to think about my forms software. My fingers just automatically went to the right keys and/or mouse clicks.

All that autonomic activity has to be re-trained. And, it has to be re-trained on a completely new format with a new data structure (no more forms, no more GLA, bath count is handled different, etc.) Instead of hopping in your car and driving to the local grocery store, its like you are being dropped into a stick shift, in England, with no GPS, and you are low on gas. Its a lot to take on all at once.

As I have said before, I have set a few of them up as if I was going to use them in my local market. In each case that basically took me a full Saturday to do. I think its fair to say that I started the process with an above average understanding of the 3.6 structure, and it still took me a long time. And, setting up the ones I had used a lot in the past did not go any faster.

Having said that, I think that it is important to invest that time and make a good software selection. If you pick a software that does not fit your specific workflow, you could easily cost yourself extra time on every assignment, and that will extra time will keep adding up as long as you use that software. There are currently 10 verified software providers, and several more on the way. Some of them are far better than others, in my view, and there really is no easy/fast way to determine what is best for you. I think one of the worst things one could do would be to commit to a specific software without even looking at or considering some of the other choices.

 

[Doug DeMars]

Based upon what I have learned, ACI will only be cloud based for the UAD 3.6. I am basically done with GSE work as the deadline approaches. I am happy to use legacy forms for clients that want that (e.g. hard money, etc.) I have a modest amount of non-lender work but need more non-lender jobs to thrive. I am looking at a career move. It appears that ACI is going to stop supporting the legacy reports plus their GPAR products by 2027. In effect, the software I've been using for the past 28 years will no longer be viable even if I refuse to complete UAD 3.6 files. ACI is toast. You either go with their cloud-based system or you find something else. I am no fan of 3.6 and I have only scratched the surface. No thanks. I will need to switch software regardless. If my arm is twisted enough...I will lean into a 3.6 report. If nothing else I can have first hand knowledge of how idiotic the new format is.

 

[Airstream]

I think it is inherently hard (and time consuming) because the appraiser has to learn two new things at once.

When I explain it internally, I tell people that for most appraisers using their forms software is like driving their car to the local grocery store. When you make a quick grocery run, there are hundreds of things that you have to do, but you don't have to think about doing them (e.g., open car door, sit in seat, put on seatbelt, hit button to open garage door, wait for door to open, step on brake, push button to start car, move gearshift to R to back out, etc. etc.) All those little things happen autonomically, because you have done them countless times before. That is the way your software is if you do any volume at all. When I was still in the field I didn't have to think about my forms software. My fingers just automatically went to the right keys and/or mouse clicks.

All that autonomic activity has to be re-trained. And, it has to be re-trained on a completely new format with a new data structure (no more forms, no more GLA, bath count is handled different, etc.) Instead of hopping in your car and driving to the local grocery store, its like you are being dropped into a stick shift, in England, with no GPS, and you are low on gas. Its a lot to take on all at once.

As I have said before, I have set a few of them up as if I was going to use them in my local market. In each case that basically took me a full Saturday to do. I think its fair to say that I started the process with an above average understanding of the 3.6 structure, and it still took me a long time. And, setting up the ones I had used a lot in the past did not go any faster.

Having said that, I think that it is important to invest that time and make a good software selection. If you pick a software that does not fit your specific workflow, you could easily cost yourself extra time on every assignment, and that will extra time will keep adding up as long as you use that software. There are currently 10 verified software providers, and several more on the way. Some of them are far better than others, in my view, and there really is no easy/fast way to determine what is best for you. I think one of the worst things one could do would be to commit to a specific software without even looking at or considering some of the other choices.

First of all I am retired and doing this part time. So I am not going to invest time into an expensive software only to do 40 reports a year. Second, I just looked at the cost of one software and it was outrageous and it only did 3.6. No way. Third a major software provider like alamode is going to be around for awhile. Some of these are start up companies and it is like buying into a massive experiment. There is high probability they will go bust. And then I still have to keep Total for private work. Fourth, I have been doing this for 30 years. I was the first in my area to go completely digital in 2000, and buy the windows based program. I was one of the first to use laser measuring. I was one of the first to go completely digital from inspections to production and files. So I am not afraid of software or learning new software. I do object to software that is glitchy and really doesn’t do the job nor fit my workflow. I am not going to spend an entire day of my life setting up software unless there is a very high probability I will use it. Glad you have the time. I have other things to do.

If I was 40 years old and just starting that would be different. But I am 71.

 

[Airstream]

I don't recall anyone complaining before about how hard it is to find an appraisalware company they like. I think you've been having problems with one of them but I don't know if you've made any efforts with any of the others.

One of those others was saying they were just going to stick to a very basic version that treats the 3.6 as just another form in their catalog and without all the gadgets. I don't have any idea if their legacy program is stable or capable of operating at the baseline level, but in theory an app like that could possibly be viable as an interim solution (or a backup to be held in reserve) while you wait for your normal vendor to catch up.

You don't seem to be waiting for others to make your choices for you. I think your effort to get out in front is a good thing but by the same measure it requires some extra effort on your part. Can't help that.

Every single one of these programs have issues. Either the program is not fully developed. The program’s cost is ridiculous. It still requires me to keep my old program for doing private work.

Do you actually use residential software?

I am 71. I am not going to make extra effort to chase down programs. If I was 40 that would be different.

 

[Sandra Koutsopoulos]

You mean like this....

View attachment 110927

Oh! when I saw "retirement", I thought you were talking to ME!! Seemed like a plausible scenario. Try out the 3.6, do a few 3.6 appraisals, get bloody disgusted, then frustrated... and finally retire May 3, 2027! The timeline looks pretty realistic.

 

[DWiley]

First of all I am retired and doing this part time. So I am not going to invest time into an expensive software only to do 40 reports a year. Second, I just looked at the cost of one software and it was outrageous and it only did 3.6. No way. Third a major software provider like alamode is going to be around for awhile. Some of these are start up companies and it is like buying into a massive experiment. There is high probability they will go bust. And then I still have to keep Total for private work. Fourth, I have been doing this for 30 years. I was the first in my area to go completely digital in 2000, and buy the windows based program. I was one of the first to use laser measuring. I was one of the first to go completely digital from inspections to production and files. So I am not afraid of software or learning new software. I do object to software that is glitchy and really doesn’t do the job nor fit my workflow. I am not going to spend an entire day of my life setting up software unless there is a very high probability I will use it. Glad you have the time. I have other things to do.

If I was 40 years old and just starting that would be different. But I am 71.

Understood. Everyone has to do what is best for them. I would not use software that did not fit my workflow either. But the only way I know to evaluate that is to actually check out the software options that are available.

There are some that I have demo'd/tested that are very good. Some I would not choose to use. But that is based on my workflow, not anyone else's. What is important to me might not matter to someone else.

 

[J Grant]

I don't recall anyone complaining before about how hard it is to find an appraisalware company they like. I think you've been having problems with one of them but I don't know if you've made any efforts with any of the others.

One of those others was saying they were just going to stick to a very basic version that treats the 3.6 as just another form in their catalog and without all the gadgets. I don't have any idea if their legacy program is stable or capable of operating at the baseline level, but in theory an app like that could possibly be viable as an interim solution (or a backup to be held in reserve) while you wait for your normal vendor to catch up.

You don't seem to be waiting for others to make your choices for you. I think your effort to get out in front is a good thing but by the same measure it requires some extra effort on your part. Can't help that.

When are you going to try to do even the first page of a UAD 3.6 ? It would give you insight into what appraisers are talking about. The software is free to trial from a number of vendors.

 

[George Hatch]

I can already see why people are upset. UAD is a report writing convention, not an appraisal process. People are accustomed to writing their reports one way using their existing user interfaces for however many years and now they are being forced to migrate to a different user interface. And the biggest vendor is apparently the one that's furthest behind.

People would have had the same reaction if the GSEs demanded everyone convert to all-narrative reporting formats. Not because of any degree of difficulty but because it's different than what they're habituated to.

 

[J Grant]

I can already see why people are upset. UAD is a report writing convention, not an appraisal process. People are accustomed to writing their reports one way using their existing user interfaces for however many years and now they are being forced to migrate to a different user interface. And the biggest vendor is apparently the one that's furthest behind.

People would have had the same reaction if the GSEs demanded everyone convert to all-narrative reporting formats. Not because of any degree of difficulty but because it's different than what they're habituated to.

You refuse to even do one page of a 3.6, resulting in assumptions that have no bearing on what appraisers are going through.

All narrative reporting would be a breeze compared to this