Anyone else get this morning's email from Bradford with the You Tube video attached?

[ablackburn]

Glad you guys watched the video. I kept telling the people at Bradford Technologies that I have a face made for radio only....

I hope I can clear up a couple of things and put the video in better context.

It would help if you knew a little about me.

I have been appraising in the same area since 1986. I am part owner of an AMC. I am an early adopter and proponent of technologies of all kinds. I am a huge believer in efficiency. Even saving 5 minutes per file ends up being nearly 2 days saved per year. If you can do 2 appraisals a day at +-$325/file, that can pay for your Starbucks runs for the entire year!

1. The purpose of the video is not to show how fast I can get an appraisal done and out the door. The purpose is to showcase the great tools that Bradford Technologies has in their ClickForms software. I talk to appraisers every day all over CA. One of our appraisers in San Jose still uses a small wheel to measure and uses none of the tools Bradford has. I talk to appraisers all the time that do not use iPads. I surveyed our appraisers about 6 months ago and only half use a laser. All of these tools are very easy to use. You just have to take the time to learn them.

2. Does every appraisal I do take less than an hour? No. Of course not. Those are the slam dunks. We have many of those here in the Bay Area.

3. Verification of sales? Of course I do. Every sale is checked using DataExpress from FNC, which shows their sales history with 1 click. MLS shows the listing/sales history of each property with 1 click. When I can an agent for clarification, they normally answer their phone. That's how agents make money, by answering their phones.

4. Original photos of comps. Yup....I get those. That's why I run all my MLS BEFORE I inspect the property. I also print out a map with all my comps on it. The MLS systems I use generate maps with optimized driving directions for the shortest route from house to house.

5. Accuracy of the MLS. In general, the systems we have here in NorCA are very reliable. I just finished an appraisal and the vast majority of the comparables had at least 10 photos and several had 20+. There is no incentive for Realtors to put bogus info in the MLS. If they do that here in CA, they get sued. It's not worth it to them to hide things or make a dump sound like the Taj Mahal.

6. Fluffed reports....Only Chase requires Aerial Photos and a farm list of comparables and 6 sales. FNMA doesn't require that stuff. Neither does FHA. Most clients don't. (Unless you feel you need to demonstrate something). When you do all of those things, which adds an extra 10 minutes to every report, you are adding nearly 3.5 days of work every year. Know your clients and their requirements. Most clients require 5 comparables. Some 4. None require the farm lists or aerial view. Those are workfile items. Don't add comparables just to satisfy a lender requirement, if the comparables are not COMPARABLE. I see appraisers do this all theme. Why would you waste our time and give a client a false sense of security by putting non relevant comparables in an appraisal, just to satisfy what an U/W wants?

7. Where I am located. I am not located in North Dakota, regularly doing appraisals on sections of land and where the sales are way over yonder and I have to go to the courthouse to confirm. The majority of work we do is reasonably non-complex, with lots of data. Nice to live in a "Cookie Cutter" area? Sure it is. Just remember I pay for that privilege. The Median Sale Price in my county is just north of $450K, for a basic 3/2, 1400 sf home. Yes, I track this and more stuff on a monthly basis and post it on our web site. You can see it here: http://www.goapple.com/Home Price Stats.htm

8. What does all this mean? It means use the technology that is at our fingertips to do your job better, and yes, faster. There is nothing wrong with being faster. DO you really think I am going to be at that median 1,400 sf home for an hour when I have a laser, digital camera, iPad and voice recording and typing software? Appraiser's are famous for doing things they way we have always done them. Same old adjustments. Same old techniques. Same old tools. Same old, Same old. The world does not work that way anymore. Trust me, You DON'T do a better appraisal by taking an hour to inspect the average home. You just take more time.

It's easy to get ahold of me and several appraisers have, after viewing the video. I am always open to chatting about not only how to do our jobs faster, but better. If you are in this forum, you likely use Clickforms. I urge you to take advantage of their onboard tools to make you a more efficient, and dare I say it, a more profitable Appraiser.

 

[MBiggers]

Hi Anthony,

Thank you for introducing yourself and providing some background.

A couple of questions, since it's safe to say you're a power user of mobile tools and many other technologies.

1. What areas of improvement do you see for mobile appraisal tools?

2. I notice in the video that in the background you're running multiple monitors. Do you feel that multiple monitors increases your efficiency?

3. (Really 2b). Do you feel that, with true multi-monitor capabilities, being able to undock "tabs"/sections of your report in different monitors would help you increase your efficiency?

Example: Having your comps on one screen (with full applicable menu, toolbar, and options) and to visually reference the data and adjustments while typing in the addenda of the same report on another monitor (also with full applicable menu, toolbar, and options).

4. As a business owner, how important would you say it is to be able to accurately predict business expenses from one year to the next?

Glad you guys watched the video. I kept telling the people at Bradford Technologies that I have a face made for radio only....

I hope I can clear up a couple of things and put the video in better context.

It would help if you knew a little about me.

I have been appraising in the same area since 1986. I am part owner of an AMC. I am an early adopter and proponent of technologies of all kinds. I am a huge believer in efficiency. Even saving 5 minutes per file ends up being nearly 2 days saved per year. If you can do 2 appraisals a day at +-$325/file, that can pay for your Starbucks runs for the entire year!

1. The purpose of the video is not to show how fast I can get an appraisal done and out the door. The purpose is to showcase the great tools that Bradford Technologies has in their ClickForms software. I talk to appraisers every day all over CA. One of our appraisers in San Jose still uses a small wheel to measure and uses none of the tools Bradford has. I talk to appraisers all the time that do not use iPads. I surveyed our appraisers about 6 months ago and only half use a laser. All of these tools are very easy to use. You just have to take the time to learn them.

2. Does every appraisal I do take less than an hour? No. Of course not. Those are the slam dunks. We have many of those here in the Bay Area.

3. Verification of sales? Of course I do. Every sale is checked using DataExpress from FNC, which shows their sales history with 1 click. MLS shows the listing/sales history of each property with 1 click. When I can an agent for clarification, they normally answer their phone. That's how agents make money, by answering their phones.

4. Original photos of comps. Yup....I get those. That's why I run all my MLS BEFORE I inspect the property. I also print out a map with all my comps on it. The MLS systems I use generate maps with optimized driving directions for the shortest route from house to house.

5. Accuracy of the MLS. In general, the systems we have here in NorCA are very reliable. I just finished an appraisal and the vast majority of the comparables had at least 10 photos and several had 20+. There is no incentive for Realtors to put bogus info in the MLS. If they do that here in CA, they get sued. It's not worth it to them to hide things or make a dump sound like the Taj Mahal.

6. Fluffed reports....Only Chase requires Aerial Photos and a farm list of comparables and 6 sales. FNMA doesn't require that stuff. Neither does FHA. Most clients don't. (Unless you feel you need to demonstrate something). When you do all of those things, which adds an extra 10 minutes to every report, you are adding nearly 3.5 days of work every year. Know your clients and their requirements. Most clients require 5 comparables. Some 4. None require the farm lists or aerial view. Those are workfile items. Don't add comparables just to satisfy a lender requirement, if the comparables are not COMPARABLE. I see appraisers do this all theme. Why would you waste our time and give a client a false sense of security by putting non relevant comparables in an appraisal, just to satisfy what an U/W wants?

7. Where I am located. I am not located in North Dakota, regularly doing appraisals on sections of land and where the sales are way over yonder and I have to go to the courthouse to confirm. The majority of work we do is reasonably non-complex, with lots of data. Nice to live in a "Cookie Cutter" area? Sure it is. Just remember I pay for that privilege. The Median Sale Price in my county is just north of $450K, for a basic 3/2, 1400 sf home. Yes, I track this and more stuff on a monthly basis and post it on our web site. You can see it here: http://www.goapple.com/Home Price Stats.htm

8. What does all this mean? It means use the technology that is at our fingertips to do your job better, and yes, faster. There is nothing wrong with being faster. DO you really think I am going to be at that median 1,400 sf home for an hour when I have a laser, digital camera, iPad and voice recording and typing software? Appraiser's are famous for doing things they way we have always done them. Same old adjustments. Same old techniques. Same old tools. Same old, Same old. The world does not work that way anymore. Trust me, You DON'T do a better appraisal by taking an hour to inspect the average home. You just take more time.

It's easy to get ahold of me and several appraisers have, after viewing the video. I am always open to chatting about not only how to do our jobs faster, but better. If you are in this forum, you likely use Clickforms. I urge you to take advantage of their onboard tools to make you a more efficient, and dare I say it, a more profitable Appraiser.

 

[ablackburn]

Hi Anthony,

Thank you for introducing yourself and providing some background.

A couple of questions, since it's safe to say you're a power user of mobile tools and many other technologies.

1. What areas of improvement do you see for mobile appraisal tools?

Simply that Appraisers adopt and use them. That is the biggest issue for appraisers, is their general unwillingness to learn and adopt new technologies. Next would be the ability to have an app that allows communication with all of the different tracking systems. More than a decade ago, when FNC had the only real tracking system, I had predicted that there would be a multitude of them, each being different, making it difficult for Appraisers to juggle the numerous, separate, communication systems.

2. I notice in the video that in the background you're running multiple monitors. Do you feel that multiple monitors increases your efficiency?

Yes

3. (Really 2b). Do you feel that, with true multi-monitor capabilities, being able to undock "tabs"/sections of your report in different monitors would help you increase your efficiency?

Possibly

Example: Having your comps on one screen (with full applicable menu, toolbar, and options) and to visually reference the data and adjustments while typing in the addenda of the same report on another monitor (also with full applicable menu, toolbar, and options).

4. As a business owner, how important would you say it is to be able to accurately predict business expenses from one year to the next?

Its always helpful to be able to predict expenses

 

[Joe Flacco]

3. (Really 2b). Do you feel that, with true multi-monitor capabilities, being able to undock "tabs"/sections of your report in different monitors would help you increase your efficiency?

Example: Having your comps on one screen (with full applicable menu, toolbar, and options) and to visually reference the data and adjustments while typing in the addenda of the same report on another monitor (also with full applicable menu, toolbar, and options).

I recently moved to Total and the unlocking tabs features is excellent. Best feature added in form filling software since side-by-side view. The only problem I have with Total is datamaster doesn't work with it yet. I don't want to open in Aurora just to import datamaster. They need to hurry up with that.

 

[Fargo1]

Its always helpful to be able to predict expenses

Thats one of the reasons I recently purchased Total. I like the fact I know what my software will cost for the next 10 years. I was tempted by Clickforms when they had a package for the similar price of $350. But before I even purchased it their packages changed and their cheapest package is now $500.

 

[MBiggers]

Thats one of the reasons I recently purchased Total. I like the fact I know what my software will cost for the next 10 years. I was tempted by Clickforms when they had a package for the similar price of $350. But before I even purchased it their packages changed and their cheapest package is now $500.

Ding ding ding... Fargo1 wins! You see the point I was making: that it's critical for any business -- especially small businesses (and the majority of appraisers run small businesses) -- to be able to know what their software expenses will be from one year to the next. As you saw, our 10 year price guarantee alone does a lot for your business and planning for the future.

Life is already a roller coaster (and a rough one at that when you're running your own small business). The price of appraisal software shouldn't be a roller coaster too.

Glad to have you on the winning team, Fargo. Are you by any chance involved with the North Dakota Appraisers Association? I've been trying to get in touch with someone there so we can begin financially and logistically supporting ND appraisers more through our Community Partnerships Program.

 

[Fargo1]

...Glad to have you on the winning team, Fargo. Are you by any chance involved with the North Dakota Appraisers Association? I've been trying to get in touch with someone there so we can begin financially and logistically supporting ND appraisers more through our Community Partnerships Program.

Thanks for the welcome. Unfortunately the ND Appraiser association is in a bit of limbo right now. It sprang up quickly in reaction to some changes being made in the state legislature, but after the changes were made, the association kind of stalled out. Hopefully things will come together again in the near future. I'm not in any official position, but its a small organization and everyone has a say. If we get together again, I will be sure to mention your desire to support the organization and I will get back in touch with you.

 

[RoyBeckham]

Fargo1, a sales representative could have outlined all available options to you. Price is part of the equation. As Anthony Blackburn points out in the video, your ability to maximize your efficiency has a direct impact on your bottom line and profitability. This is what makes ClickFORMS a tremendous value.

As Warren Buffet says, “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.”

 

[residentialguy]

Apple Appraisals co-owner shows how he completes sf tract development appraisals in 45-60 minutes.
Wow. What am I doing wrong over here in NJ?

You're not pushing hard enough

.

 

[Fargo1]

Fargo1, a sales representative could have outlined all available options to you. Price is part of the equation. As Anthony Blackburn points out in the video, your ability to maximize your efficiency has a direct impact on your bottom line and profitability. This is what makes ClickFORMS a tremendous value.

As Warren Buffet says, “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.”

Roy

I did talk to a sales rep at one time who said the $399+/- package was still available. However, since it was not listed on the website and not gauranteed for 10 years, I don't expect that I would be able to renew at that price again. It seemed to me like a one time deal to get the client in the door and then raise the price at renewal. I don't mean to be offensive, but Clickforms has a reputation for that kind of thing.

Also I watched that video. As previously mentioned, I find it misleading to make people think appraisals can be completed in that short of a time. I feel that video is a disservice to appraisers and will only cause AMCs to think they can pay us even less. That video did more to push me away from Clickforms than it did to make me want to use it. To top it off, I really didn't see any tool or feature in the video that led me to believe Clickforms has any tools available that no one else has. It just looked like integration of other 3rd party tools. Granted, good integration is a great thing. But I expect other software vendors can integrate the same tools. From my research it appears Alamode has additional tools that interest me. One of which is their report delivery system. If I understand it correctly it appears they have a service that allows me to send reports to a secure server that allows my client to retrieve them securely. With no additional fees. I am also excited from what I hear about a comps database that will allow me to store research notes on each comp. I tell you these things only to give you a better idea of what tools helped me make my decision.

However, please also know that just because I purchased Total does not mean that I am a customer for life. I actually liked the methodology and feel of Clickforms better. So although I decided to purchase Total and give it a good year to really get to know it, I may still consider Clickforms in the future. As you know from previous conversations, I almost had Clickforms running on Linux. If I find I can use Clickforms with my OS of choice or if I find their pricing policy to stabilize, I will consider Clickforms again in the future.