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The Kodak/ActiveRain Paperless Challenge - Making Progress...

By TeamCHI - Complete Home Inspections, Inc.

Home Inspector with Complete Home Inspections, Inc. TN Lic#050

February 24, 2011 10:16 AM

The Kodak/ActiveRain Paperless Challenge - Making Progress...
I have long been conservation minded. Maybe it's because some of my ancestors were the Little Harpeth River ~ Photo by Michael Thornton indigenous species that inhabited this country. Having studied and learned their customs, I now understand why Native Americans have a deep reverence for the earth. They understood it was the union of mother (earth) and father (sky), that brought forth life from the Earth's fertile womb.

The dawning of the of the computer age, ushered in promises of a paperless society. Promises of fewer trees being harvested to satisfy the hunger type being put to paper. Sadly, the corporate world still had the stone age mindset and print was still king.

Looking back, I feel as if I have made progress in my journey to become as paperless. While my peers were still doing hand-written or check box reports, and hand delivering them, I envisioned computerized reports and emailing them.
     I developed crude but effective software for report generation which allowed the embedding of digital photos. Electronic printing (PDF) was still in its infancy and many customers liked getting their reports via the Internet.
     My customers now have the option of electronically signing documentation and compensation for services rendered.
     I have my business card information incorporated into a QR code. Swapping business cards will soon be a thing of the past.

Although I feel that I have made great strides towards going paperless, there are still the boxes of old records that must be scanned and archived on hard drives. A scanner to convert all these documents to electronic files has been on my drawing board for some time now. My goal is to m make this a reality in the not too distant future.

We will always need paper for some jobs. Thankfully, the geeks have not found a way to digitize this one…

“This post is written as a submission to the Active Rain and Kodak Paper-less Challenge contest. I have the chance to win the high speed KODAK SCANMATE i1120 Scanner, great for helping real estate professionals reduce their stacks of paper by scanning contracts, photos and business cards in seconds.”

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Cindy Jones

Integrity Real Estate Group - Woodbridge, VA

Pentagon, Fort Belvoir & Quantico Real Estate News

And empty TP roll must mean the woman of the house is out since we are the only ones who seem to be able to change them :-)

Feb 24, 2011 10:23 AM

Barbara Hensley

RE/MAX Properties - Rockwall, TX

Homes for Sale in Rockwall County, Texas

This is interesting...good job! Yes, we will always need some paper!

Feb 24, 2011 10:24 AM

Georgie Hunter R(S) 58089

Hawai'i Life Real Estate Brokers - Haiku, HI

Maui Real Estate sales and lifestyle info

I hope you can win the Kodak scanner! Then you can afford some new TP.

Feb 24, 2011 10:25 AM

James Quarello

JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC - Wallingford, CT

Connecticut Home Inspector

Yep, some paper will never be obsolete. And the women change them because they use the large majority of the stuff :)

Feb 24, 2011 10:57 AM

Steve Loynd

Alpine Lakes Real Estate Inc., - Lincoln, NH

800-926-5653, White Mountains NH

Michael, I just sent 27 pages of information to Bank of America, as a computer PDF file...no faxes no actual paper...I am happy to be part of the solution.

Feb 24, 2011 11:08 AM

Dorie Dillard Austin TX

Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX

NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Good evening Micahel,

One of the reasons I love Docusign..email and presto contracts back! BOA doesn't like it and wants a fax copy! Aghhhhhh!!! I see Steve was able to send a PDF file..not on one of mine!

Feb 24, 2011 11:28 AM

Jay Markanich

Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA

Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

I am one who thinks there will never be paperless societies. There are as many reasons for paper as there are for trees!

There are simply too many trees for us to use and termites to eat! Think how lonely the forests would be without humans and termites!

;>)

Feb 24, 2011 12:10 PM

DeeDee Riley

Lyon Real Estate - El Dorado Hills CA - El Dorado Hills, CA

Realtor - El Dorado Hills & the Surrounding Areas

Michael,

You got that right - we will always need paper for some things! I can't and don't want to imagine a paper-less solution for that!!!

Feb 24, 2011 12:52 PM

Toula Rosebrock

Diane Turton, Realtors, Forked River, NJ - Lacey Township, NJ

Broker/Sales Associate, Realtor, Lacey Township,

Hi Michael:

I can't even image a substitute for TP....

Feb 24, 2011 01:12 PM

Carl Winters

Canyon Lake, TX

What no TP....come on Michael there has to be a better way. They sell it by the bundle at Sam's and Cosco.

Feb 24, 2011 01:24 PM

Susan Emo

Sotheby's International Realty Canada - Brokerage - Kingston, ON

Kingston and the 1000 Islands Area

Has no one heard of the 3 shells in Demolition Man?

Feb 24, 2011 03:30 PM

Joni Bailey

101 Main St. Realty - Huntsville, TX

Your Huntsville / Lake Livingston Area REALTOR®

Good luck in the paperless contest AND in refilling that toilet paper roll!

Feb 24, 2011 03:33 PM

Kristine Ginsberg

Elite Staging and Redesign, LLC - Short Hills, NJ

NJ Home Stager

We can do without paper in most things, however, toilette paper isn't one of them - lol!

Feb 24, 2011 04:46 PM

Fred Carver Real Estate Consulant

Retired BC Realtor - Victoria, BC

Accredited Real Estate Consultant

Hi Michael...may you should include this post in Funny Friday's..That's one paper we'll need for as long as I live.

Paperless...I remember in the late 80's with my first computer we all thought paper was on it's way out...then programs, hard drives etc started crashing and losing everything...I even bought a tape drive in the early 90's which took hours to back up my computer. Heck in around 97 our Real Estate Board New listing could only be printed before we could view them...I think because of dial up modems.

I'm ponder going completely paper less, a few in my office have...I do have all documents relating to a listing attached to my listing for other Realtors to download and print...haaa. Oh well maybe it'll happen soon.

Feb 24, 2011 05:03 PM

The Brewer Team - Benchmark Realty

Benchmark Realty - Franklin, TN

Michael - interesting pictures you have here, and I especially the one referring to paperless.

Feb 25, 2011 01:56 AM

Chris Smith

Re/Max Chay Realty Inc., Brokerage - New Tecumseth, ON

South Simcoe, Caledon, King, Orangeville Real Esta

I love this post Michael, and if you really think we need paper, I have one word for you.... "bidet" ;-)

Feb 25, 2011 05:23 AM

Karen Baker

Sunset Beach and Beyond Realty - Sunset Beach, NC

Professional Help with Rapid Responses...

Michael ~ Just like a man ~ leaving the toilet paper roll empty ~ Chris ~ I thought bidet's were only for girls?

Feb 25, 2011 10:30 AM

Craig Rutman

Helping people in transition - Cary, NC

Raleigh, Cary, Apex area Realtor

Nice job demonstrating the fact that some jobs will always require paper!!! Too funny!

Feb 26, 2011 04:05 AM

Andrew Monaghan

The Monaghan Group - Glendale, AZ

CRS, GRI, EPro Associate Broker

What a funny post. Thanks for sharing.

Mar 01, 2011 02:36 PM

Kathryn Acciari

Central One Federal Credit Union - Shrewsbury, MA

Mortgage Loan Originator

I once had a potential client who said he believed that conservation and recycling were the responsibilities of large corporations, not individual consumers. I said good-bye at that point, as I can not understand that mindset. We must take care of nature, or she'll take care of us for good!

Mar 03, 2011 12:10 AM