Is a GPS device usefull in Appraising?

[TC]

Put me down as a convert as I too posted in 2002 thinking they weren't worth the money. A few months back I was helping a fellow appraiser out by watching his back in a not too safe part of town. He had the comps logged into the GPS and we were able to shoot them in record time.
He has a Garmin, paid around 700 bucks for it, I'd like the price to come down a little before I cough up the dough. His has a "beanbag" it sits on so he can move if from car to car. He vacationed in New England last year and used it in the rental car. It's on my wish list.

TC

 

[Dale Smalley]

I got the new Tom Tom and it is really good. Not 100% with new roads and inside big developments. I don't always program in the comps but you get a heads up display on the next street comming up. This is real good in those winding layouts or when there is 49th ave, ct, pl, pass....
Lots of cool features, blue tooth to the phone, shows all the resturants nearby etc...oh yeah and I like the English womans voice telling me to take the motorway.

 

[Gregory Beck]

GPS is great

A recent Appraisal Buzz has an interview with John Cirincione, who, among other things, is on the AI's Real Estate Information Committee.

His thesis is that with DeLorme's Earthamate, a LapTop Computer, and a GPS, an appraiser can drive to the comps quicker and easier. To have all this equipment in the car sounds awkard and impractical.

Has anyone tried this? Has it proven to be practical?

We all know that a GPS can tell you where you are, but how could it possibly show you how to get to an address (unless you had the the USGS Coordinates for that address) There must be another element involved that he did not mention: perhaps a street finder program such as Microsofts's Streets and Trips.

thomas N. Morgan
State-Certified Residential Appraiser 000052
Ocala, FL

Used to have a Garmin then bought my new car with navigation system It's fantastic just put in the address and off you go I get around much faster it's well worth the investment.

 

[Mike McCool]

In my opinion and after many many hours of researching Alk Copilot for laptops/pda is the best GPS for appraisers. My MLS outputs my comps to .xls which Copilot reads and then automatically routes the quickest/shortest path between all comps. The voice navigation gives turn-by-turn instructions including speaking the street names. One of the best features to me is you can have it route your comps so that the house is on your left side for easier picture taking.

 

[BenLuby]

My question for those of you with a Garmin or Tom Tom or compass on the dash, is there a monthly fee on top of the initial purchase price for them?

 

[Dale Smalley]

No fee so far on the tom tom but I havent tried to upgrade yet.