Classless Valuation Buys Data Master

[Non Sequitur]

 

[Non Sequitur]

Anyone spot a little puffery?

 

[Joe Flacco]

Three hours to fill out a 1004 is unbelievable.

I would say more than half of my time is spent with MLS and data sources. Remaining time allocated to driving and site visit, filling out the 1004 and writing up the addendum.

 

[CCAAMO]

I estimate that Spark saves me 3 hours per report. The SCA grid is less than 25% of a report IMO. In fact, I devote about 10% of my time to scholarly factors and the remaining 90% of the time entering data, before Spark. Of course I also refine my 1004 template about once a week.

So it saves you 3 hours per report which is huge. Ignoring the comps in the sales grid which you said account for 25% of that, what does it does it do that saves you the remaining 145 minutes?

 

[ZZGAMAZZ]

So it saves you 3 hours per report which is huge. Ignoring the comps in the sales grid which you said account for 25% of that, what does it does it do that saves you the remaining 145 minutes?

To research, analyze, and report the prior sales of the subject and each comparable, 30 minutes. To research, analyze, and report the 1004MC, 30 minutes. To populate page 1, 20 minutes. to provide any of the various market data in chart form (rather than importing into Excel and creating, formatting, and downloading the charts), 30 minutes, etc., etc., etc., etc. And those are just the primary factors, excluding the Cost Approach report that I don't use. BTW and IMNSHO anything less than 3 - 5 hours to type a report must require the appraiser to rely almost exclusively upon meaningless, canned templates. Just my opinion but I stand on record that Spark increases my productivity in terms of volume as well as quality. GM

 

[CCAAMO]

That's what i was asking about. It's is amazing the range of time it saves from 15 minutes a report to 3 hours. The next couple i do I'll time how long to complete the various sections manually and then i can compare it to your estimates. AS for the 1004C part, once your do you comp search and to back 12 months, you already have that data and MLS will do a stat for each period you want so that is already covered.

 

[ZZGAMAZZ]

That's what i was asking about. It's is amazing the range of time it saves from 15 minutes a report to 3 hours. The next couple i do I'll time how long to complete the various sections manually and then i can compare it to your estimates. AS for the 1004C part, once your do you comp search and to back 12 months, you already have that data and MLS will do a stat for each period you want so that is already covered.

An "interesting" factor about Spark that I stumbled upon is the protocol used to populate the website, which is based upon MLS searches, e.g., subject, hood, 1004MC, and comparable properties. By conducting successive MLS searches, all of my research is completed in advance, and with a few keystrokes, Spark is populated, as is my ACI report. For years & years I conducted numerous MLS searches, although the process now is consolidated, although I don't know if the protocol I follow reflects all Spark user protocol. Nevertheless, I consider Spark to be a blessing to my career!

 

[Non Sequitur]

Just one of many AMCs bringing everything in-house and positioning for the future.

 

[bjreich7]

I use datamaster and it doesn't really save that much time. Maybe five minutes.

A lot of the data needs to be manually checked and retyped in. It will get the address right, MLS number right. sale price right, contract date and sale date right. It will put the tax ID for the comps where I want it right and put in original list price and final list price where I like to put it.

Everything else needs to be entered manually. I still use it though for the very little it does.

Spark is the worst because you can't even customize it. Datamaster you can at least customize it.

I'd like to clarify for anyone reading through this that Spark is absolutely customizable. I also want to be up-front that I'm biased in what I have to say because I built Spark myself (along with my brother). Regarding A K, maybe you skipped the tutorial or, more likely, I did a bad job of making it clear how you customize it, but it's definitely customizable. I can't remember anyone complaining about our customizability before but the one thing some DM customers complain about is that we don't have MLS photos so if that's a deal-breaker for anybody, don't waste your time looking at Spark. DataMaster includes MLS photos and we do not. We do have the ability to load in the front-view photos from Google but not from MLS. A K, based on what you've posted, I'm guessing you have zero interest in trying it out again but if, by chance, you do, you can give us a call and we'll help you out or you can send us a sample report showing us how you like the grid, market analysis comments, charts, etc to look and we'll do our best to make it load in data the way you prefer. 888-699-3450 or support@choicevaluation.com

 

[ZZGAMAZZ]

I'd like to clarify for anyone reading through this that Spark is absolutely customizable. I also want to be up-front that I'm biased in what I have to say because I built Spark myself (along with my brother). Regarding A K, maybe you skipped the tutorial or, more likely, I did a bad job of making it clear how you customize it, but it's definitely customizable. I can't remember anyone complaining about our customizability before but the one thing some DM customers complain about is that we don't have MLS photos so if that's a deal-breaker for anybody, don't waste your time looking at Spark. DataMaster includes MLS photos and we do not. We do have the ability to load in the front-view photos from Google but not from MLS. A K, based on what you've posted, I'm guessing you have zero interest in trying it out again but if, by chance, you do, you can give us a call and we'll help you out or you can send us a sample report showing us how you like the grid, market analysis comments, charts, etc to look and we'll do our best to make it load in data the way you prefer. 888-699-3450 or support@choicevaluation.com

1) Any appraiser who balks because MLS photos aren't provided in a bogus beaaccch [Sp]

2) Regarding to the prior conversations about efficiency: I need 15 - 20 minutes just to populate the tiny 1004 page 1 "One Unit Housing" box, a process relegated to ZERO minutes with Spark, e.g., download the data, sort it by date of construction, determine the mid-point, re-sort it, by price, determine the mid-point. The "Prior Sales" section takes me 15 minutes manually, versus ZERO minutes with Spark; the 1004MC including assignment-specific analysis, requires 30 - 45 minutes manually, versus 5 - 10 minutes with Spark. And these are just peripheral factors., Etc., etc.