South Florida Real Estate Appraiser & Realtor® - South Florida Real Estate Professional at your service.

Searching & Finding your files on your computer

Sat, 28 Jul 2007 12:26:57 -0700

Here is a quick video with a tip on locating files on your computer.

I know i have my files pretty organized, but somtimes you just need that file you can't remember the name or where your stashed it..

take a look at the vid.

hope it helps,.. ask if you need some expounded on. :)

later gators..

Sample Post in this group

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 08:33:31 -0700

Just wanted to write a quick post....

So I'm getting request from my clients for appraisals in Florida, central, SW and the Cocoa area.

I thought that we could form a little group here for easy reference to call each other and I will be linking to this group from several websites to help it with search engine rankings.

Typical post should be like a profile page or website page about your company.

Be sure to include your cities and counties.. as sometimes we dont know what city is for the county you may mention you cover.

Robert has submitted a great post with a map with his coverage areas shaded.. he's set the bar high.. a better outline to follow. :)

Here is a map of Florida Counties if you want to do something similar.

(quick sample that will get redone later)

-----------------------------------------------------

Nick the appraiser focuses on Palm Beach Appraisals but also covers neighboring counties to the north and to the south.

Palm Beach County cities include- West Palm Beach, Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Boynton Beach, Lake Worth, Riviera Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton and Wellington areas.

Broward County cities include - Sunrise, Coral Springs, Deerfield, etc, etc.

Our turnaround times are typically 24-48 hours from inspection and may vary with assignment difficulty or other factors.

Typical fees are $325 for single family homes and condo under 2,700 sq.ft.
All orders are considered COD unless otherwise arranged with our preferred clients.

Saving your 'Favorites' so you can always have them handy!

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 14:50:21 -0700

Ok, so i just noticed there is no HTML when you post directly to a group.

So all the You Tube elements that would normally be seen on this screen are going to have to be links.

I guess that will make this the most unatractive, yet informative posts for me :)

Let's get to it. We all have a list of Favorites on our PC's or computers. Everytime you buy a new one or >gulp< format your hard-drive, you lose them. Well now you can export them and have them with you at all times.

By creating a file you can either email it to yourself, put it on a server (free or paid hosting service) or just carry it on a jump drive or pass it around on your local home network. :)

So here is the video on How to export your Favorites

any questions, ask them in the thread.

I will hopefully find some time to type out the instructions as well :)

remeber, when in doubt, just click 'ok' or 'next' until you see the 'success box'!! :) haha! :)

edit: after thought on applications for this..
... create a new user in windows, so you have to log on to an area that is not personalized. Go ahead and visit all your favorite pages and save them into your favorites. Maybe pages of interest to someone in your local area, to new homebuyers perhaps, a collection of your favorite vendors (appraisers, brokers, etc) or restaurants and local points of interest.

Target your pages to your audience and then export them to an easy to send file to a past or future client.

Make your HTML without HTML! :)

Computer Tips and Tricks for you - Just ask

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 14:19:38 -0700

Hi everyone, so i created this group to spread my geek love around.

I'll start with some simpler how to and tips that you can use on your computer. Little things to help with productivity.

Feel free to make your requests by posting directly to the group.

We'll see what kind of questions arise and how i can help out.

I guess this is inspired by the You Tube post. Seems like people may need a hand, so i'm here and willing to share.

If you have that techie itch, stop by. Here is an old post that seemed to get little reponse. I'll link to it here because one of these 2 FREE tools is worthy of any computer (that will run the software).

I love SLICK RUN and its a must on all my pc's. The Folder Marker helps me make all my folders different colors or icons and easy to navigate.. post about it is here..

see ya later gators.

Massage Envy in Royal Palm Beach - Affordable Massages

Fri, 11 May 2007 08:58:53 -0700

Massage Envy - Royal Palm Beach

Location: Royal Palm Beach

I noted a friendly attitude and sweet smelling ambiance when entering this local Royal Palm Beach storefront business. They offer massage therapy at affordable pricing with a variety of types of massages by offering a membership based approach. This makes it available to a wider number of people who can enjoy more hours at a lesser cost.

Here are a few types of massage that Massage Envy Offers.

Therapeutic Massage
Swedish
Deep Tissue
Sports
Reflexology
Trigger Point
Cranial Sacral

For more information on the Types of Massage they offer with detailed explanations, please visit their website.

Be sure to ask them about their $39 introductory 1 hour full body massage.. more details on their website!

Address: Map of: 129 S. State Road 7, Royal Palm Beach , FL 33411

Phone: 561.422.8889

Webiste: Massage Envy in Royal Palm Beach

Email: Clinic0139 (at) Massageenvy.com
-> [ replace the (at) with @ ]

Rips Surfing Co. - Surf & Skate Shop in Royal Palm Beach

Wed, 09 May 2007 11:36:49 -0700

Rips Surfing Co. - Surf / Skate Shop

Location: Royal Palm Beach

A highly unique surf / skate shop with retail and restaurant in one place, Rips Co. Surf offers a very cool ambiance. Being in two stores at once, either entrance presents you with a different side, from surfboards, skateboards, bathing suits or flip flops to smoothies, snacks and Island Hawaiian Tropical meals on the opposite end.

Enjoy the surf videos with a smoothie while sitting at the inside bar or relax and enjoy your drink / meal on the outside seating area under an umbrella. Truly a unique and fun place to hang out and soak up the Florida lifestyle.

On Friday evenings, Rip Surfing Co. Surf Shop is host to a weekly car show featuring a variety of types from muscle cars to antiques. The friendly ambiance allows for car enthusiasts to poke around under the hood and check out redone interiors on some oldies or power rides.

Take a ride to visit this unique store. See you there on Friday!! Tell them that 'Nick the Appraiser' sent you! :)

This surf shop is easily accessible and near major roadways, being just off of 441 (State Road 441) and South of Southern Blvd. Click link below to see exact location.

Address: Map of: 123 S. State Road 7, Royal Palm Beach , FL 33411

Phone: 561.422.3262

Some various trees from around. :)

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 08:48:38 -0800

Ok, Lisa.. here are some pics. They are not my garden, but of homes I see on the road while appraising.

I like the way the branches all split at the same 'levels'.. worth a pic!

Very neat to see these root hugging these rocks. They seem to get along well.
Something to play with in the future.. wrap those roots around some rocks!

I think roots are way cool... this is sideways..sorry ;^P

This one got toppled by Hurricane Wilma, down in Broward. yikes!
These trees take the roots out sideways, rather tha tap downward. I used to think it was from sprinkers,
but it could be those South Florida showers. I've noticed that people without sprinklers tend
to have trees that root deeper and better for hurricanes. It may just be specific to that type of tree.

Ahhh.. I love the Bismarkia. I think its grey or silver.. they are way cool and big fans can provide nice shade.
This lucky homeowner got it for free when the city lined the streets as part of bringing the neighborhood up! free=sweeeet

Some monster Agave's below. I love em.

I'll take some in my garden today... check out the agave in front as a replacement for
the one in the back that is about to croak! He spiked up 25+ feet in an attempt to reproduce.
nature is way cool!

Un Saludos para mis nuevos amigos.

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 21:14:07 -0800

¡¡¡Que llueva que llueva la vieja esta en la cueva!!! ¡¡¡Los pajaritos cantan, la vieja se levanta!!

¡Bienvenidos a la Lluvia!

¡¡No pude resistir!! Hola Chris y Maria, por ahora somos tress aqui.
Discupla mi español escrito, no aprendi en la escuela, pero hago el efuerzo. Me acuerdo que me cargarban en Sur America cuando hacian que el 'yanqui' lea de los chicles Bazooka!! jaja que risa. Tuve unos cuantos mezes para pronunciar la 'rr'. Rosa me salia 'Losa'.

Por ahora ningun tema interesante, pero ya viene 'los posts' (?) para los hispanos en mi mercado aqui en Florida.

Les mando un abrazo para los dos. nos 'veremos' pronto.

Nick el Tasador.. jaja funny..

Nick the Appraiser.

PS. Maria, ¿Chris no habla español? No veo la photo de el aqui. :)

chauchas

Top 10 things a Real Estate Appraiser Does Not want to hear

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 14:39:06 -0800

Ok, another top 10 list. Please note that I have put a top 10 list out before, so keep your pointing fingers tucked in your pockets.. (unless you're David Letterman).

The tone of this post is.. "Humor me to make a point". -Me ok! here goes.

Top 10 things a Real Estate Appraiser Does Not want to hear.. especially this Palm Beach Real Estate Appriaser (and what we may be thinking as the words slide of your tongue)

Ok, A top 10 David Letterman drumroll please...

#10. I need a 'comp check' or 'current sales data check' Me - See Advisory Opinion #19- (or AO-19) Ask the Realtor for previous sales.

#9. 'The other appraiser said that its worth $xxxx, can you check on that for me?' Me -And you telling me this why? Use the other appraiser. See AO-19

#8. 'I have comps that you can use.' Me - 'and I will tell you how to structure your loan'

#7. 'This house is better than that sale'(Having never seen the house or the MLS sheet) Me -if you say so, send the order.. its COD; cash or check, report goes out when the check clears.

#6. 'So what if there is a property on the market for 250 days similar to the subject at xyz value' Me- ok, that makes sense. that one hasn't sold, but this is worth more. See AO-1

#5. 'I need to change to lender on that report, by 5pm' Me- That's $250 for a new file, you'll save $75 because I did the sketch already. I need to go back out to the property, I have an opening tomorrow, I'll have to inspect the inside. See AO-3

#4. (Home owner) 'I built a jacuzzi in the middle of my living room! No one else has one!' Me- And? This is a good thing? Hope you enjoyed it. see this post

#3. 'I don't have a better contract, You can't read the contract?' Me I need a legible copy of the contract, this has been faxed a dozen times. (See AO-1 & Standard 1-5)

#2. 'I have a lot of work for you if you 'take care of me' Me Who's gonna take care of me when they take me license away for collusion or fraud? <:^Ð

and the number 1 thing a real estate appraiser does NOT want to hear..

#1. 'Do you invoice? We will pay you at closing' Me yeah right. you pay me and get paid back at closing.

FYI:

Advisory opinion #1- The Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) and supplemental standards issued by others contain sales history requirements that obligate appraisers of real property to analyze and report pending and recent agreements, options, listings, and sales involving the property being appraised.

Advisory Opinion #3- Regardless of the nomenclature used, when a client seeks a more current value or analysis of a property that was the subject of a prior assignment, this is not an extension of that prior assignment that was already completed - it is simply a new assignment.
also-The term "Recertification of Value" is often mistakenly used by some clients in lieu of the term "Update." A Recertification of Value is performed to confirm whether or not the conditions of a prior appraisal have been met. A Recertification of Value does not change the effective date of the value opinion. If a client uses this term in an assignment request that includes an updated value opinion, then it constitutes a new appraisal assignment that must be completed as discussed in this Advisory Opinion.

Advisory Opinion #19- Unacceptable Assignment Conditions in Real Property Appraisal Assignments (aka You're asking me to break the law) USPAP-AO#19- Appraisers report that the caller usually makes it clear that they do not want the appraiser to do any fieldwork. Some callers refer to the service requested as a "comp check" while others refer to it as a "preliminary appraisal" or use some terms other than appraisal (such as preliminary evaluation, study, analysis, etc.). Some callers indicate that if the numbers will not work, the appraiser can send a bill for research services or a "preliminary" inspection. Other callers promise future assignments if the appraiser can make the present deal work.

Standard Rule 1-5- When the value opinion to be developed is market value, an appraiser must, if such information is available to the appraiser in the normal course of business: (a) analyze all agreements of sale, options, and listings of the subject property current as of the effective date of the appraisal; and (b) analyze all sales of the subject property that occurred within the three (3) years prior to the effective date of the appraisal.

There are 10 Standards and 10 Statemets which make up the USPAP (Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice). There are also and additional 29 Advisory Opinions that are recommendations and supplemental to USPAP. Although they are considered addenda to USPAP, nonetheless they are used for illustrative purposes..
"Advisory Opinions issued by the Appraisal Standards Board (ASB) do not establish new standards or interpret existing standards. Advisory Opinions are issued to illustrate the applicability of appraisal standards in specific situations and to offer advice from the ASB for the resolution of appraisal issues and problems."

** The above is for illustration purposes of daily activities. Not all brokers work like this, but a lot of this is common practice and appraisers need to be aware of USPAP compliance in this and all matters in developing a real estate appraisal.
PS. Get the Realtors to pull the comps for you. They have access to the MLS. If I do it, you're getting a bill or you're losing an appraiser. **

USPAP is here thanks to the AppraisalFoundation.org

USPAP 2006 - Digital version

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 22:42:46 -0800

Hey guys.. I wanted to share this with you all. I've never been a huge fan of reading USPAP.. there I admitted it. You tend to learn what can and can't be done with experience and guidance.. but now you can refer to the applicable law with this!!

I got the 2006 USPAP on CD and I'm loving it. You can order it from the Appraisal Foundation with the entire thing in an easy to access format. It has an index for keywords, an index with Starndards and everything in order and also the Frequently asked questions (if you choose that version for a few bucks more). It's easy to find what your looking for and all the pertinent info is cross linked.

Mix that in with the ability to print it for faxing or print to PDF and email it. Pretty cool. Not that I'm trying to upset clients, but when they wont give and you want to quote USPAP, its handy and easily transmitted in the aforementioned formats.

It's broken down into 2 parts:

1st are the Standards, Statements and Advisory Opinions (AO's) all in an easy to access menu which is broken down by topic or by an index.

2^nd part is composed of FAQ's. Pretty neat because it answers those questions that you may wonder about the technicalities.. well, now you can back it up refering to the USPAP.

I also should mention that each part is available in PDF in the program. I prefer the interactive one, because you can look up a topic like ‘recertifications' and then start jumping through the links to get all the relevant info.

Here are some screen shots..

check out this sample of the menu..

under Scope of Work.. / .. Summarize.. and then the Standard Rule it applies to and the subsection. very neat.

Makes finding the info you need quick and easy.

Tags links not showing up..Can you lend a hand? (or a brain)..

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 09:51:15 -0800

Hi folks..

I noticed something on my blog that I'm not sure how to correct. We all write blogs and try to include some tags that people can use to read about topics or for the search engines to pick up on.

All was fine and dandy until I looked at some blogs from a friend's house yesterday.. (yes, I think now this can be considered an addcition). Well it turns out that I never noticed from home because I am always "logged in".

If I log out, and goto my blog I only see 2 tags.

I guess there is something to check off in the bottom half of the page when you're creating a post so that it will appear to those who are not logged in or with accounts. Now I wonder if members can see all my tags or just the two that are available when I'm logged out.

Can you clue me in to what I need to check off to make is visibile to the public?

Thanks in advance for you time and feedback. Here is my blog and my 'tag cloud'

Nick

Top 10 things best things about being a real estate appraiser in Florida..

Mon, 18 Dec 2006 10:01:44 -0800

Ok, So I'm trying to write more about real estate. Enough about me. With a hint of sarcasm, here are some the best parts of being an appraiser.. (let's stick with the positive, ok?)

Ok, A top 10 David Letterman drumroll please...

#10. You get to intrude into peoples homes and get ideas from their decorating, toys, etc. cool! This includes mack-daddy million dollar cribs! yoo hooo Holla at ya boy!!

#9. While taking pictures of comps, you get offered all kinds of goodies while people flag you down in the street.. unless they want to shoot you for taking pictures of their new home.

#8. No two days are the same.. some are way more fun than others. (see #9 and #6)

#7. You don't have to wear a tie and you can enjoy your pimped ride a lot, like 1,000 miles per week sometimes. yikes!

#6. You don't have to smile and kiss butt, unless a cop asks you why your driving circles in the neighborhood.

#5. You do the job and get paid. No other external factors affect your pocket.

#4. Your math skills improve as everything from car payments to mortgage are divisible by about $325. -"Oh thats just like 2 appraisals"

#3. You can play on the computer all day and call it work. just kidding, bloggers. ;)

#2. People love you so much they call you all day long for your super-duper reports. -"Where's my report!"

and the number 1 reason to be a real estate apprasier in Florida is...

#1. You get to say, "it is what it is" a lot.

So there you go.. a feeble attempt to make this blog a little more about real estate.
Hope it brings you a smile on this start of the workweek.