Cool Tools (free And Cheap)

[cpalub01]

I use SnagIt every day, as a lot of others on here. Tract Plotter has bailed me out a couple times when I've seen recorded deeds that describe the metes and bounds and finish with something like "1 acre more or less". The last "1 acre more or less" deed I had ended up being 0.432 acres... so less... way less

 

[DWiley]

Why not use the snipit tool in Windows? It is already there and you don't have to download it. I have used it for years and yes, I use it daily just like some of your use nagit.

Snagit is just far more powerful, and easy. Sorta of like comparing Notepad to Word

 

[RSW]

hmmmm..

It seems like the Snipping Tool and Snagit are very similar, but Snagit can do two things that the Snipping tool can't do

1) record video
2) Better editing tools of the snipped image (For example you can't put an arrow on the image in the Snipping Tool)

I just open the saved image in Windowz draw and add an arrow. It is all free.

 

[NachoPerito]

I just open the saved image in Windowz draw and add an arrow. It is all free.

Windowz draw?

 

[lchigdon]

The Hemingway app makes a good copyeditor for the narrative portions of a report--and doesn't leak to Skynet so far as I know! : )

http://www.hemingwayapp.com/

 

[DWiley]

One cool tool that is often overlooked is the compass app on the phone. It can be used to measure angles on a home. Just open the app, hold the phone face up against a wall and note the direction indicated, in degrees. Then do the same thing with the adjoining angled wall, and the difference in degrees will tell you the angle of the wall for sketching. Example below using paper instead of a real wall.

 

[Michigan CG]

oh, ok. you cg's use it. i dont put any of that stuff in my reports and i dont do narratives.

Over 50% of my work is residential lending and I use it (snag-it) a minimum of twice per report for a close up of the site with a drawing of the site and for a neighborhood or market view (both aerial). I use it to pull legal descriptions, plats, and other things. I use it to highlight things, draw lines around things and point to things and label them.

Today and tomorrow I am doing seven land appraisals that CR appraisers could do in most states. I would guess I will use snag-it at least 15 times in every report. I used it to put in legal descriptions from the attorney, aerials of the subject and neighborhood, the zoning requirements. I pulled soil maps for four of the properties and all of the comps and the soil breakdowns for the comps and the subject. All of that is done with snag-it.