Mar 15, 2022 | Tech Tuesday
Why digitize a manual task? To do it quicker, do it once and reduce errors that can occur in manual processes. One consistent complaint we hear throughout the profession revolves appraisals that get sent back to the appraiser for minor edits and revisions related to consistency between the subject property description in the appraisal, and the sketch page. With ACI’s new SureStep™ sketch, appraisers, inspectors and Realtors can create accurate, data-driven floorplan sketches in the field.
Using SureStep sketch, the user can walk through a property and build a floorplan on a tablet or a smartphone, and simultaneously capture many of the key data elements required to populate the description of the subject structure. The property data captured in the floorplan (number of rooms, floors, dimensions, amenities, etc.) is automatically fed directly into the form, but is also retained as distinct data in the digital file,. This allows for a more comprehensive data validation using ACI’s industry leading compliance rules. So, an appraiser or an inspector can complete reports faster and field fewer calls from AMCs questioning why the report says three bedrooms and the sketch shows two.
SureStep sketch digitizes and automates critical inputs in the appraisal process in both the field and the office. Users can build a floorplan using pre-defined shapes and labels, while simultaneously capturing key inspection data required for an appraisal or property report, all in an intuitive and easy-to-use application.
This unique floorplans-on-phones approach can eliminate discrepancies and inconsistences that often occur between the data on an appraisal form and the sketch. SureStep sketch will reduce the need for back-and-forth with clients over quality issues, while enabling users to produce reports faster and with fewer errors. Best of all, SureStep sketch provides the real estate professional with the all the features necessary to create floorplans that meet the standards set by Fannie Mae for Desktop Appraisals.
SureStep sketch can be used as a stand-alone web app on a mobile device and is also integrated directly with ACI Report seamlessly connecting sketch data gathered in the field immediately with the user’s ACI Report software in the office. Sketch can be used across all ACI products offering users a consistent user experience on all their devices. Visit https://www.aciweb.com/aci-surestep-sketch to learn more about SureStep sketch.
Jun 22, 2021 | Tech Tuesday
Get More Done in Less Time!
DataMaster is an advanced appraisal data management system built by appraisers for appraisers that can save you an hour or more on every appraisal report. DataMaster integrates directly with ACI One which means all of your data and decisions import directly into your appraisal reports!
Find out the difference data makes. For a limited time, ACI customers can try DataMaster risk-free for 14 days. Here’s how it works…
Launch DataMaster and pull data from public records, MLS, or even your own data using CompTracker directly into the application. You don’t have to worry about any missing data because DataMaster gathers information from your MLS’s back-end database so you’re getting complete data for each listing. Get subject property data, listing and deed history information, market conditions, and neighborhood analysis with just a few clicks. Once the data is imported, you can view and analyze all of the data directly within DataMaster before sending it over to ACI.
May 25, 2021 | Tech Tuesday
Save Time with Your ACI Client Code
Did you know your ACI Client Code is your connection to Customer Support, the ACI Webstore, and Chat? Use your ACI Client Code to access and expedite any of these services. In today’s Tech Tuesday, we’ll show you how.
Locating your Client Code in 3 Easy Steps
- Launch ACI Report
- Click Help on the menu bar
- Click Product Registration to display your Client Code
More quick tips for using your Client Code with ACI:
- Maps: Save time and bypass Customer Support to purchase location maps and flood maps on the ACI Webstore.
- Chat: Chat is great for answering quick questions and continues to grow in popularity. To better serve you, enter your Client Code in the Company ID field on the Chat form.
- ACI Membership: If you have an Individual Membership that is up for renewal, watch your inbox for an email to renew your membership online.
Now that you’ve found your Client Code, keep it handy and use it the next time you connect with ACI!
Apr 20, 2021 | Tech Tuesday
Last year in support of social distancing, we launched ACI OpenHouse™. This innovative inspection tool was designed for an appraiser to facilitate an exchange with an inspection contact to collect property data that includes photos and responses to a short survey. Today, appraisers are conducting the inspection without a third party, but are still benefiting from using OpenHouse to collect property data and photos that import directly into an appraisal report.
Follow these 3 easy steps to use ACI OpenHouse on your next inspection, and eliminate unnecessary retyping of inspection data and image handling.
1. Before You Go to the Inspection:
- Open or create a report that contains a Subject Property address.
- Click eServices > ACI OpenHouse > Property Survey Request.
- Select New Survey Request and enter or verify Subject Street Address.
- Enter your email information for both Property Contact’s Email and Your Email boxes.
- You will receive an email with a Survey link and an email with a Survey Access Code.
2. On Inspection:
- From a phone or mobile device, open your property survey link from the email. Internet connection is required.
- Answer the questions pertaining to the property and take photos.
- Once finished, hit Submit to complete the survey.
3. Back at the Office:
- You will receive an email with the Survey Access Code once the survey is complete.
- Open the corresponding report and go to: eServices > ACI OpenHouse > Property Survey Request.
- Select Retrieve Survey Responses.
- Copy and paste your access code and click OK to import survey data and photos.
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ACI OpenHouse is secure, simple to use, and is already included with an active ACI membership. Click to view the full ACI OpenHouse Reference Guide.
*ACI OpenHouse can be used for any ACI report. Full data mapping is supported in the standard GSE and FHA forms. Other forms may require some data input through the work file document that is delivered through ACI OpenHouse.
Feb 23, 2021 | Tech Tuesday
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Search and sort through thousands of properties for your market analysis in seconds. It’s simple, speedy, efficient and UAD ready!
ACI makes it easy and automatic to organize and store all your comparable information, including photos, for future access. ACI Report and ACI Research are tightly integrated to facilitate importing and exporting of property data from your appraisal reports directly into your comps database.
Our easy to read Building a Comps Database Tech Document will help you set up your comps database:
- EXPORT comps from ACI Report into the ACI Research Database for future use, featuring an auto-export option.
- Search saved property data in ACI Research and IMPORT comps directly into ACI Report.
The Tech Document also covers arranging comparables on a report, viewing multiple comparables and more. View the Tech Document here.
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Jan 26, 2021 | Tech Tuesday
Linked Common Responses are a powerful and often overlooked feature that allows users to store a combination of field entries with a single selection. Throughout most appraisal forms, many fields are related through multiple dependencies and the data elements required rarely, if ever, change.
City, county, and state fields are a prime example. The city of Palm Coast will always be located in the county of Flagler which is located in the state of Florida. By storing a linked common response in the city field for Palm Coast, users can select the city from their common response list and the linked fields will fill at once.
Here is how to Create Linked Common Responses for a Range of Fields:
1. Enter text in all fields in the range.
2. Click in the first field in the range. Press CTRL+SHIFT on the keyboard and click in the last field in the range (all fields in the range are highlighted).
3. Press F6 on the keyboard.
4. Click Save and then click close to exit.
Creating Linked Common Responses for Select Fields:
1. Enter text in select fields.
2. Click in the first field of the Common Response. Press CTRL on the keyboard and click in each field to include in the Common Response (select fields are highlighted).
