Web Sites and Tools Specifically Designed For Small- to-Medium-Sized Brokers to Be Shown At NAR Mid-Year WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 17, 2006) --a la mode, one of the most mission critical and influential technology companies in the real estate industry, today launched Broker XSites, a web site solution designed specifically for real estate brokers. Broker XSites are a cost-effective solution for real estate brokerages of any size, but specifically target the needs of small-to-mid-size brokers.   Read more...

Effective July 1, USPAP will no longer include a Departure Rule, nor anything called "Complete" and "Limited" appraisals. In their place will be a comprehensive new Scope of Work Rule, a set of minimum standards for all appraisal, appraisal review and appraisal consulting assignments. Are you ready?   Read more...

Fitch Ratings, which provides investors with opinions as to the creditworthiness of the companies and other entities they invest in, let the air out of AVM advocates in 2004 when it began to discount "non-full appraisal values" by 10-15 percent across the board in selected "weak" markets. This month the company is revising its discount policy to be more AVM- or investment-specific and expanding it nationwide.   Read more...

Software, used like a printer, will deliver GLB compliant, e-signature enabled digital documents directly from any LOS or any Windows program OKLAHOMA CITY, OK -- a la mode, one of the most mission critical and influential technology companies in the real estate industry, today redefined the landscape of both software distribution and eMortgages by announcing the release of SureDocs as a public beta.   Read more...

Recently, counsel for the Appraisal Institute produced and distributed an article, "Copyrighting Appraisal Reports: Can You? Should You?", which called into question the ability and wisdom of appraisers copyrighting their reports. Since we've been in the lead convincing appraisers to protect their rights, we felt we needed to respond.   Read more...

Sometimes you don't know whether to laugh or cry. So you do both. You laugh when you hear that AVMs are more accurate than appraisers when you read, in the Sunday (March 19) New York Times:   Read more...

Lamenting the effect of "the allure of easy money" on former tile salesmen and investment analysts, USA Today this week reported on the contraction of real estate jobs as the housing market normalizes. "As the housing market slows, there will likely be a lot of stories of people who are bailing out of their real estate jobs and other professions related to housing -- appraisers, mortgage brokers and home construction workers -- and many not by choice," the paper said.   Read more...

The Appraisal Foundation reminds that the 2006 edition of USPAP was adopted with an effective date of July 1, 2006.   Read more...

While existing and new home sales normalize, a strong counter trend can be seen in housing starts. January's seasonally adjusted annual rate of groundbreaking on new home construction was the highest level since 1973.   Read more...

With your next Aurora update, available next week, you're going to see a significant change to the way you keep track of your files and order status in WinTOTAL form filling software. The change is for the better - and much more than cosmetic - because the new Files PowerView takes the best of what used to be the Tracking PowerView and merges it directly into your file management system.   Read more...