Need Recommendation on New Appraisal Software

[hendricks54115]

I have been using Wintotal for about 3 years now, I have to re-subrcribe again by the end of this month, along with this I have to buy extras in order to keep my program going. I have the Elite package and need to pay another 1700.00 for the year, does any one have other programs they may recommend, or is Wintotal still the best software out there.
Thanks

 

[Jerry Bone Jr]

The program will work just fine, even if you're not a current Alamode customer.

 

[Charles Knutson]

I use ClickForms, and have been generally pleased with it. You can download a fully functional version, and use it for 30 days.

http://www.bradfordsoftware.com/

I think it's about $800 to buy the package, but the website is pushing a monthly subscription -- $49 per month for a basic package, but there are things included in it that I don't use, and aren't really needed. My yearly updates are $200-400 (on sale) for tech support, location maps, and flood data.

 

[Couch Potato]

I have been using Wintotal for about 3 years now, I have to re-subrcribe again by the end of this month, along with this I have to buy extras in order to keep my program going. I have the Elite package and need to pay another 1700.00 for the year, does any one have other programs they may recommend, or is Wintotal still the best software out there.
Thanks

Your least expensive option is to stay with a la mode. You just need to alter your "package." Drop down to a Silver membership for $349 and if you need the delivery options a Basic XSite for $299. Likely you will not even notice the difference, and will save more than $1000.

Remember there is a discount for renewing online. On your renewal date just go online and purchase the parts you need to keep, not the whole package.

 

[Bearslide]

What Couch said - alamode is the software for appraisers, by appraisers.

 

[Roy Courtney]

I currently use Alamode and have for many years. Lately I have had nothing but problems with it. I am also trying to find a different software company. I have a demo of Clickforms and checking it out. So far it looks pretty good!

 

[Couch Potato]

I use ClickFORMS because I find it best suits the way I work. It is very reliable and I finish reports faster than I did using WinTOTAL or ACI. I highly recommend it to anyone who is merely seeking the best program.

If the question is which is the cheapest program, for most appraisers that would be the one they are currently using. Due to sale prices no single company always has the lowest maintenance fees, and features utilized is the thing that most influences price.

 

[Metamorphic]

I use ClickFORMS because I find it best suits the way I work.

Can you explain what it is about the way that you work that's better adapted to the way ClickFORMS works?

 

[Couch Potato]

It is as much the structure of the program as anything. It is manifested in a number of ways, but here are a few examples. Page management: in ClickFORMS I can add and remove pages without opening or closing any windows allowing one to view the report at the same time, but in the other programs the report window closes and a new on opens to manage the pages. I like to load 15 or more potential comps in the report using an auto import feature, evaluate them, then move/delete the pages I don't need. It is a very simple, fast process in ClickFORMS, but time consuming and cumbersome in the others.

I prefer the photo management in ClickFORMS which has a floating palate called the PhotoSheet. It consists of a row of thumbnails of photos. I put my memory card from the camera in the computer, open the PhotoSheet, click Load and all the photos taken for the job are then visible. I can then pick and choose which ones to utilize. I simply drag them from the PhotoSheet to the cell in the report. Once the photos are in place, the photo editor allows me to make minor adjustments such as rotating and cropping as appropriate. It will also optimize the size of the photo based on the size of the cell in which it resides. They can be done one at a time or all at once. This makes it easy to shoot at a high resolution, save in the PhotoSheet at the high resolution, but use an appropriate lower resolution in the report. The other programs have photo management too, but the I find the interface in WinTOTAL to be a PITA. ACI is not bad with photos, I could put them all in a folder and use thumbnail view for the folder much as I would the PhotoSheet. It's not quite as smooth as working in ClickFORMS, but it is acceptable.

I don't clone reports. Template management in ClickFORMS is easy and very versatile since ClickFORMS does not use the concept of "major forms." The autocomplete feature allows common responses to be entered by typing one or two letters once they are set up properly. WinTOTAL added an autocomplete about the time I quit using it, but it was not as smooth an implementation as ClickFORMS.

ClickFORMS is not bloated code. The file size for the program download is under 70 MB. WinTOTAL is several times that size. ClickFORMS uses standard installation procedures and operates in a manner consistent with Microsoft guidelines. This enhances stability and eliminates most installation issues. (Don't ever try to uninstall WinTOTAL without help from a technician or a detailed instruction sheet.) Because it is well written, ClickFORMS runs fine under CrossOver (an implementation of the WINE project) on my MacBook Pro.

I could go on, but I've got work to do.

 

[Metamorphic]

Thanks, My supervisor current uses Wintotal, but its really expensive and there's some stuff about it that I really dont care for. I'm with on you their photo manager. Its not intuitive, blows in fact. I just load my pictures into my e-workfile, and drag the photos into their spot from a windows file manager filmstrip view. Its a decent work around. I really dislike wintotals addendum writer feature. Ever time you type more than 1 additional character into a blank it opens this window you have to cancel or it puts your text off into lala land some where. I dont really get it.

I've never been able to get Wintotal to import data from rappatoni which is the MLS I use most. I can get it to play with NDC Data's export features but the amount of typing it saves you is barely noticeable.