Regionwide MLS coming together in '08

[moh malekpour]

http://www.ocregister.com/money/agents-MLS-mlss-1988309-listing-one

Super database to debut in late summer, unifying 119,000 Southern California real estate agents into a single "multiple listing system."


The new system, named the California Real Estate Technology Servicessystem, or CARETS, will represent about 119,000 agents in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

When it goes live in August or September, it will allow agents in Orange County to see listings – and have their listings seen – in an area stretching from San Diego to Ventura counties.

Talks are under way to add more MLSs in San Diego County and the Palm Springs and Victorville areas.

Currently, 41 percent of members of the Anaheim-based Southern California Multiple Listing Servicebelong to more than one MLS, said Russ Bergeron, chief executive of SoCal MLS and a leader in the regionalization effort.

Such duplication will end under the new system, under design since 2006.

"Now you will only have to join one MLS, and you will have access to everything in the CARETS universe," Bergeron said. " … And if you have only one MLS, you have just one MLS fee, so you have savings there.

"You put (your listing) in one place, and it will be available to everybody."

While the MLS data is available only to real estate agents, and are not directly available to consumers, officials maintain that the consolidated database will benefit patrons as well as practitioners.

 

[Randolph Kinney]

Moh,

When this happens, are you contemplating appraising in all those counties?

Personally, it is all I can do to stay current with market conditions and neighborhoods in San Diego county. There are some areas where if you are not local, you don't know about property restrictions or moratoriums unless you visit the city planning department.

 

[BOBBYGINE]

Central valley is also talking about a regional MLS system.

 

[moh malekpour]

Moh,

When this happens, are you contemplating appraising in all those counties?

Personally, it is all I can do to stay current with market conditions and neighborhoods in San Diego county. There are some areas where if you are not local, you don't know about property restrictions or moratoriums unless you visit the city planning department.

Not really,
I don’t like to go too far but my County is very small and for some reason, there are too many appraisers in Orange County. I am in Huntington Beach and Long Beach, Cerritos, Lakewood and other cities in the south bay, which are part of LA County, are much closer to me than South Orange County cities. I cover Orange County and part of LA, San Bernardino and Riverside County. After 17 years of appraising, I am familiar with all cities in those counties and have been in most of them but with the current gas price, it is not cost effective to drive that far.

 

[ZZGAMAZZ]

Hey guys: I know from experience working the Kern MLS system that the newer systems come with a "time code" that changes every 30 seconds more or less. In addition to a password and a user ID, one must key in the ever-changing password to access MLS. A small appraisal company that "shares" the MLS access could be affected when only 1 person gets access to a gizmo that displays the changing timecode. Of course that's the purpose of the system...

 

[Randolph Kinney]

Hey guys: I know from experience working the Kern MLS system that the newer systems come with a "time code" that changes every 30 seconds more or less. In addition to a password and a user ID, one must key in the ever-changing password to access MLS. A small appraisal company that "shares" the MLS access could be affected when only 1 person gets access to a gizmo that displays the changing timecode. Of course that's the purpose of the system...

Sandicor just adopted a new security system where each member is issued a "fob" that generaters numbers unique to the serial number on the fob. You need to log in with your member number, PIN, and the fob number. Here's what the fob looks like:

You log in only once. You don't have to keep entering a security code unless you are logged out.

Here is the link to Sandicor, check out the front page.

http://www.sandicor.com/

 

[Randolph Kinney]

Not really,
I don’t like to go too far but my County is very small and for some reason, there are too many appraisers in Orange County. I am in Huntington Beach and Long Beach, Cerritos, Lakewood and other cities in the south bay, which are part of LA County, are much closer to me than South Orange County cities. I cover Orange County and part of LA, San Bernardino and Riverside County. After 17 years of appraising, I am familiar with all cities in those counties and have been in most of them but with the current gas price, it is not cost effective to drive that far.

Yeah, gas is a killer.

I bought an apple fritter today. It use to be $0.69 and now its $0.89. Can't afford the darn treat any more. :icon_mrgreen:

 

[Annelle]

I've had one for over a year now from Orange County MLS. I didn't realize that it was a time code. Wondered how it worked ! Thanks.

And the current MLS has from some counties in Northern cal. So the new MLS would take that away? I am very familiar with Northern Cal and some assignments potentially require a bigger data pool, or be on the cusp of a county. Besides, I was thinking of moving back there, and have been looking at properties and markets

 

[Mike Boyd]

The greater bay area in Northern California has been invited to join in (BAREIS). The administrators say there are some serious problems and will not even consider it until those problems are addressed. We have the fob thing Randolph displayed and, yes, you only have to log in once unless you go off-line. It is against the rules for companies to allow multiple users to use MLS services unless they join and pay their fees. If caught, you get locked out, have to pay a fine, and, I'm guessing on this, probably have to take an ethics course. This might be a good thing for staff reviewers but I see no advantage to it....for me. BAREIS covers all the areas in which I appraise. Ours is a mini Regional system already.

 

[reliantappraisals]

I cover 3 or 4 counties in the san jaoquin valley.
Id love to have a regional MLS.