Written by:  Nathan Thomas

Occasionally, especially these days when appraisal software companies are buddying up to AVMs - see here for a description of how ACI's Forms Server integrates with AVMs, and here to see how Bradford Technologies is teaming up with Veros Software's VeroVALUE AVM - we are questioned about (or accused of, depending on your point of view) WinTOTAL reports being mined for data by AVM providers.   Read more...

We've been running a cluster of mail servers here for years - since 1997 - under the Project 2000 name, with free accounts for every WinTOTAL user. Originally, we used mail as the EDI mechanism since it was reliable, easy to implement and understand, inexpensive, and could be used for messaging (two way conversations), not just delivery. Also, at the time there were substantial limits on file sizes which could be transmitted through an ISP's mail account, plus there were proprietary systems (Value Added Networks, or VANs) under development and being promoted by big players, and we didn't want to see appraisers be stuck with an expensive, inflexible method becoming the standard means of EDI delivery. We "seeded the market" with free Project 2000 accounts, and we're happy to report, at least in the appraisal arena, VANs have almost totally failed to deliver.   Read more...

There's a six-month delay in the effective date of new Do-Not-Fax rules from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) due to the successful lobbying efforts of the National Association of REALTORS®, all 50 state associations of REALTOR® and REALTOR® associations for the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.   Read more...

A growing number of real estate agents and people selling their own homes are turning to feng shui - the ancient Chinese art of designing structures and arranging objects to create harmonious energy flow - to help attract buyers.   Read more...

Inman News kicked off its fall audio conference series last Thursday with a discussion on new real estate business models and their impact on traditional agents and brokerages. Five "alternative" firms spoke briefly about their business models and how they deviate from the model the majority of the industry uses and how such models will impact the real estate business in the future.   Read more...

Appraiser websites have a bad reputation. Some of you say, "I don't need to advertise," or "it won't help my business," or "I don't have time to mess with a website." And many of you have been burned by someone else's expensive website that didn't actually "do anything."   Read more...

We have been grateful for the overwhelming response of our customers and well-wishers alike as well as media coverage of our situation with Homestore demanding we disable our Agent XSites REALTOR.com® listings import feature. The issue of ownership and proper use of a broker/agent's data needs to be brought to the fore - Homestore, through its public statements, seems to agree with us on that. Hopefully, the issue is galvanizing enough agents and brokers to go to their boards and find out if they sign their lives away when they deal with MLSs.   Read more...

The Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) adopted new Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria on February 20, due to take effect in 2008. There have been questions from the states, the AQB said recently, about how to implement the changes. In an AQB Guide Note, the AQB gave the states two acceptable scenarios and one which would not be acceptable.   Read more...

Last week, the Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan and his Federal Open Market Committee colleagues increased the target for the federal funds rate from 1.50 percent to 1.75 percent.   Read more...

If you're a Mortgage XSite user, you'll probably notice a few new features on your site early next week. You may also be saying to yourself, "Wait a minute; I didn't pay for an upgrade!"   Read more...