So here is the information that I got from an extensive conversation with John in the Sales Department and John Ross, Managing Director out of Chicago.

Basically, buy in to this business is breaking into the AVM/BPO market.  There are 17,000-18,000 zones sold although not sure how many are actually "live" yet.  Zones have been sold in So Cal, Phoenix AZ and Spokane WA.

Many zones have been photographed already.  However, if the zone you purchase has not, you will be paid for every picture you take of every property in your zone.  The more dense the zone, the less per pix.  The more rural, the more per pix.  Zones are approximately 10,000 developed parcels.  Each zone costs about $10,000. 

Your job as the appraiser is to have the photo and rank the exterior of the property on seven criteria (view, condition, size, parking, bsement, location and amenities) and on a scale of 1 to 10.  You are required to have membership in the MLS of the  area.  Comps are choosen for each area and general marketing groups are established.  If you have taken the pix within a year, and the lender accepts it, it makes a 2055 very easy.  Otherwise, you might have to go out and shoot pix again.  However, all the data that you have precollected autofills your forms to make your job easier.... or so they say.

Start up is $14k-21K.  The appraiser only makes a percentage of what is charged to Zaio.  I guess the potential is large if large lenders ask for huge appraisal assessments.

It is not for me.  I don't have the money  or the time to invest in a system that has not been proven to work.  Iknow that I will be making less and less if management companies become the norm and if lenders rely more on AVMs.

They were very nice on the phone.  They are hopeful that the system works and they can deliver what they think they can.  They even sent me a $25 VISA gift card for listening to the talk!

I might have mixed up some of the info above since there was so much information and it was very overwhelming.  Please feel free to add on if you have additional info.

I am anxious to hear from some of the zone owners and why they "took the plunge".