ClickTALK - eNewsletter for ClickFORMS users

Issue # 121. October 5, 2005

Take our quick poll about the appraisal business.
Today’s poll question:

How often do you back up your office data?

	never
	daily
	weekly
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Upcoming Events

The following trade-shows and webinars are coming up soon.

Appraisal Institute Northern CA chapter – Friday, October 14, at the San Francisco Hilton in San Francisco, CA www.norcal-ai.org

NAIFA – October 15 – 19, Portland, Oregon www.ifanw.com

Mobile Appraiser Technology Seminar, Tuesday, October 18th (Time TBD)

Forms Seminar -
Form population and URAR (Fannie Mae) class
Sacramento, CA – October 13th
San Jose , CA – October 29th

Customer Feedback
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In this Issue:

Announcement: A New Fannie Mae Webinar for ClickFORMS Users
The Cost Approach Part 3 – Bringing It All Together
Upcoming Events – Tradeshows, Seminars and Webinars
Tech Tip – Keeping Your Data Safe

New Webinar - Fannie Mae for ClickFORMS

New Fannie Mae Webinar for ClickFORMS Users - November 1st is fast approaching. The new Fannie Mae forms will be required. If you aren’t familiar with how to work they work with ClickFORMS, you might be interested in our new Fannie Mae for ClickFORMS Webinar.

In this webinar, you’ll learn how the new forms work with ClickFORMS. You’ll get a high-level overview of the Fannie Mae forms and some “gotchas” to look out for. You’ll also learn cool tips on ClickFORMS that will make using the new forms easier than ever. And since it’s a Web-Ex webinar, we’ll not only tell you how it all works, we will actually show you as well.

The webinar lasts one hour. Call us for times and prices.

The Cost Approach – Part 3

This is the final installment in a series of three articles about the Cost Approach appraisal method. In our last edition, we provided information on some useful appraisal tools and resources to assist you in creating your Cost Approach estimates. In this article, we’ll show you how you can save time and effort on your next Cost Approach appraisal using SwiftEstimator™ for ClickFORMS™.

Bringing it all together – The SwiftEstimator™ for ClickFORMS™ Solution

Now that you’ve seen the benefits of using the Cost Approach method, let’s look at how SwiftEstimator for ClickFORMS can help you quickly and easily create your own Cost Approach appraisal. The key feature of the SwiftEstimator for ClickFORMS solution that eliminates the complexity of using the Cost Approach is the seamless integration of these two programs. Now, you can accurately verify market-based valuations, project construction costs, adjust estimates for unique physical property features and monitor real estate markets all from within the familiar and easy-to-use ClickFORMS environment.

Faster Cost Approach Appraisals - A Closer Look

SwiftEstimator for ClickFORMS streamlines the cost approach, allowing you to appraise property values in a fraction of the time, at a fraction of the cost. Creating standard, short, input listing and depreciation cost reports is easy using the SwiftEstimator™ online forms and intuitive user interface. Additionally, Form 1007 for FHA and HUD appraisals for single-family and low-rise multi-family residences, townhouses and duplexes are easy to create and later adjust as new information becomes available.

Let’s take a look at an example of how SwiftEstimator for ClickFORMS lets you create a Cost Approach estimate in just a few easy steps.

From within ClickFORMS select Cost Analysis from the Services pull-down menu.

Then click the Get Estimate button from within the dialog box that appears.

The general information of your estimate is automatically imported into SwiftEstimator from your ClickFORMS URAR form, saving you from manually having to enter this information.

Note: You can easily navigate the site by selecting the links in the left navigation bar.

Click on Building Data in the left navigation bar and then select residence type, style, enter total floor area and choose quality of construction.

Now you can select Components.

The first time you create an estimate you will see an assumptions page that presents you with the standard components that appraisers use most often.

First select a System and then select a Component. Click the Select button to edit the component to specify the percentage or units for that component.

You can click the Definition button after selecting a component for more information about that component.

Finally, click the Add button when you have completed editing your component.

Repeat this process for each component you wish to add to your estimate.

Now you are ready to calculate the estimate. (This is the last step.) Simply click Reports/ Cal c on the left navigation bar and then click the Cal culate to generate your report.

After you see your report, click the Transfer to ClickFORMS button to move your cost analysis information into a square foot appraisal form (1007) in ClickFORMS. You can even make modifications to your cost estimate for up to seven days.

As you might expect, many appraisers have greatly reduced their dependency on the costly and time-consuming process of manually creating estimates using the cost approach. In fact, many of our customers have cut their cost-per-appraisal by as much as a factor of ten.

Ensure Accuracy and Reliability

SwiftEstimator for ClickFORMS ensures that your cost approach estimates are always accurate and reliable. Based on Marshall and Swift’s industry cost data, you can create cost approach appraisals for your clients with the confidence that they are current and up-to-date.

Be sure to visit our website at www.bradfordsoftware.com. Or call us at 1-800-622-8727. We’ll show you how SwiftEstimator for ClickFORMS can improve the accuracy and efficiency of your appraisals using the cost approach method – faster and more affordably than anyone else.

Tradeshows, seminars and Webinars –
The Bradford Technologies Events Calendar

The following tradeshows and webinars are coming up soon.

Appraisal Institute Northern CA chapter – Friday, October 14, at the San Francisco Hilton in San Francisco , CA (www.norcal-ai.org)
NAIFA – October 15 – 19, Portland , Oregon http://www.ifanw.com/conferences/2005/Conference2005.asp

Mobile Appraiser Technology Seminar, Tuesday, October 18 th (Time TBD)

- Forms Seminar - Form population and URAR (Fannie Mae) class

Sacramento , CA – October 13 th
San Jose , CA – October 29 th

Calendar: http://www.bradfordsoftware.com/about/events_calendar.html

Tech Tip – Keeping Your Data Safe

Note from the Author: I used to give a seminar on data backups when I worked at Stanford University . It was amazing to me how many scholars did not back up their data on a frequent basis! Out of 40 scholars in my department, a good 20% had come to me sometime in the year stating that they “lost their work” or that their “hard disk crashed”. Software and hardware are not perfect. Therefore, it is very important that you take steps to back up your data. Below is an excerpt from the seminar that I conducted. I (and all of us at Bradford Technologies), strongly recommend that you apply these tips in your computing environment.

Why Back-up Your Data?

Any one of the following can happen:

Your computer is stolen, lost or destroyed in transit.
Your hard disk fails or Windows spontaneously combusts.
There is a power failure, and you did not save your work.
You receive an email or web virus/worm, and it wipes out your hard disk or corrupts your files.
You accidentally overwrite the latest version of your paper with an out-dated version.

The Backup Strategy

It is recommended that you always keep at least 3 copies of your work.

Copies on your computers hard disk - Make it a habit of saving your work every 10 minutes or so. Store your files in a central location, such as My Documents(Note: In ClickFORMS, your Reports, Databases, PDF Files, Templates and other preferences are stored by default in My Documents \My ClickFORMS)
Copies on a secondary medium - Since your hard disk can fail at any time, you need to have a copy that is not prone to damage - Periodically drag-and-drop files to the secondary medium
A master copy that you can store in a safe place or at another secure location – For example, at the end of the day, save all your personal files to the medium of your choice and take it home with you

Backup Programs

Ultimately, it is up to you to decide which backup program to use. Please use thoughtful consideration before setting up a backup scheme.

Scheduled Backup Programs - These programs allow you to specify a time and medium for backups. These programs can run simultaneously as you are working. Example programs include BackAgain, FolderClone, and Windows Backup (part of the operating system). You can find backup software at various software stores.

Manual Backup via various media - Requires a little more discipline. Essentially, you are responsible for saving copies of your files to a medium of your choice (e.g. Zip, floppy, CD, etc...).

Common Backup Media

Diskette (1.44 MB)
- Advantages = cheap, easy to use (drag/drop)
- Disadvantages = limited capacity, prone to errors

Zip (100, 250, 750 MB)
- Advantages = easy to use (drag/drop)
- Disadvantages = $$$, prone to errors

CD or DVD (~700 MB for a CD to several GB for DVDs)
- Advantages = convenient, lots of space!
- Disadvantages = CD format issues, more difficult

Portable Hard Disks (just as large as your internal hard disks)
- Advantages = portable, easy to use (drag/drop)
- Disadvantages = $$$, can crash like internal hard disks

Flash Memory Cards/Jump Drives (32 MB to 4 GB)
- Advantages = very reliable, universal compatibility, portable
- Disadvantages = $$$ but becoming much more affordable

Which is the Best Medium to Use?

Weigh the advantages and disadvantages of the various media listed above. For those of you who are a little more technically challenged, it's probably wise to stick with a medium that is drag/drop, such as Zip or Flash Memory, such as Jump Drives. CDs require some extra practice and additional software and hardware. You need a CD-Recordable drive on your computer to even begin. In addition, you need CD burning software, such as Roxio CD Creator.

- Jenny Rhoten , Customer Support Manager

Data Storage Safety Tips

Always back up and test your back up! Keep current copies of important data offsite.
To avoid data loss and program corruption, always exit your programs before shutting down your computer.
All computer equipment should be used with high-quality surge protectors or line conditioners.
Never turn off peripheral devices while the computer is on or when the disk is active. This may cause directory damage.
Never reformat your drive without testing your backup. If you use tapes, be sure you are familiar with the backup software before archiving important data.
Do not move or jar a drive while it is operating. When transporting a drive, prevent jostling by using a padded container.
Allow adequate space around external drives’ cooling vent; remove books, papers, etc., which might black air flow. Do not put the drive on carpeting.
As a general rule, if you are comfortable, the climate is appropriate for the drive. Avoid rapid temperature changes. If the drive was previously in a very cold environment, allow your drive to warm up to room temperature before operating.
Use extreme caution when using software utilities – in cases of severe corruption or mechanical failure this may make the problem worse.
If you hear unusual noises, turn off the unit immediately. These sounds may indicate a mechanical problem that could ultimately result in total data loss.

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