ACI - The Appraiser's Choice™ - Appraisal Forms Software

ACI Acquires Day One®, United Systems®, and Appraisal.com Assets

Bea Acs — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:30:00 GMT

Investment solidifies ACI’s industry leadership position; provides new business opportunities for appraisers

November 19, 2008, Palm Coast, FL. ACI, a leading innovator in technology for the valuation industry, today announced the acquisition of assets of the Day One^®, United Systems^®, and Appraisal.com companies. Day One and United are long-standing software brands in the appraisal industry and used by thousands of appraisers. The completion of this acquisition solidifies ACI’s position as a leader in the industry and provides new business opportunities for appraisers.

ACI, the most financially secure appraisal software company in the industry, now includes the following brands: ACI, Lighthouse™, CRAL, Day One, and United Systems. ACI’s acquisitions, combined with the recent release of ACI2009™, demonstrate ACI’s continued investment in the appraisal industry.

“The purchase of the Day One and United brands, along with the other assets of Appraisal.com, furthers our plan of building the corporation through organic growth as well as strategic acquisitions,” said Dave Roberts, president, ACI. “Over the past dozen years, we have acquired seven different software companies and technology platforms, allowing us to expand our presence in the U.S. and Canada, gain operational economies of scale, and provide an enhanced product suite to our clients.”

“We are pleased to complete the sale of the Day One, United, and Appraisal.com assets to ACI,” said Doug Vincent, former CEO of Zaio Corp. “ACI represents the highest degree of business professionalism and the greatest opportunity for Day One and United appraisers to transition their software to a venue where they can expect premium support. The ACI product line is among the strongest in the industry and affords appraisers unrivaled stability—something coveted in today’s environment. With these acquisitions now concluded, Zaio is better positioned to continue to shift focus towards meeting obligations to its Zaio owners, partners, and affiliates regarding its core initiatives and deliverables.”

About ACI

ACI, a pioneer in crafting technology solutions for the valuation community has gained industry-wide recognition and support from leaders in the field. ACI’s highly scalable appraisal solutions ensure a partnership tailored to the needs of the organizations it services. The ACI client base features many of North America's premier lenders, national appraisal companies, and real estate brokerage firms. From connecting appraisers nationwide to streamlining quality control, the flexibility provided gives organizations the means for processing appraisals and managing exceptions in a consistent and efficient manner.

ACI is a division of ISO, a leading source of information about risk, providing data, analytics, and decision-support services to professionals in many fields, including insurance, finance, real estate, health services, government, human resources, and risk management. The company draws on vast expertise in actuarial science, insurance coverage, fire protection, fraud prevention, catastrophe and weather risk, predictive modeling, data management, economic forecasting, social and technological trends, and many other fields. To meet the needs of diverse clients, ISO employs an experienced staff of business and technical specialists, analysts, and certified professionals. In the United States and around the world, ISO helps customers protect people, property, and financial assets.

ACI2009™—Features That Count

Bea Acs — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:00:00 GMT

When it comes to bringing to market useful tools and features that really make a difference in an appraiser's world, ACI has a long history of industry firsts. From being the first software company to offer appraisers an automatic addendum writer—to providing the ability to facilitate laser printing—to the release of the GPAR™ Forms series—to our Desk-to-Door™ concierge service, industry firsts are part of our strength and just a sample of what makes us The Appraiser's Choice™.

ACI2009™ brings a myriad of new features and enhancements. Below is a list of my top ten favorites:

10. Full Addendum Editing You asked, and ACI answered. In ACI2009™ addendum writing is easier than ever with full-page addendum editing. Simply click on the addendum icon and start typing in full screen mode like a regular word processor.
	9. Comp Side-by-Side Views Want to see all your comparables on the same screen? Now you can with ACI’s new Side-by-Side Comp View. Save time by making adjustments to comparables across the board without turning pages back and forth to double-check figures.
8. Split Views If having comps side-by-side wasn’t enough, you can now place any form next to any other form in a new window. Need to reference the sales grid while you work in the addendum? Use the vertical split view and you can look at both.
7. Import from PDF Need to create an ACI file from a PDF? Import it! With only a couple clicks of the mouse you can import the data into ACI.
6. Additional Listings Forms Additional listings grids are available to all the major forms. The grids are especially useful for providing evidence of the declining market conditions that are common in some areas today.
5. FloodInsights Update ACI2009™ includes the eagerly anticipated upgrade to Flood Maps: the Subject property locator can now be moved, if necessary.
	4. GPAR™ Restricted Use Forms We’ve expanded the GPAR™ series of forms to include forms for narrow scope assignments, which provides flexibility for non-lending assignments. Try them out and let me know what you think. 3. PARLogic® GPAR™ Rules ACI updated its proprietary PARLogic rule sets to include the GPAR™ series of forms. Now you can run a fast automated review before finalizing the appraisal report.
2. ACI Sketch™ ACI Sketch™ rounds out ACI’s software suite of intuitive and easy-to-use appraisal tools. You’ll master ACI Sketch™, including drawing curves and angles, in minutes. The completed sketch and breakdown import directly into the sketch page, and the GLA imports into the main form.
	1. Pictometry® Ever think about providing an aerial view of the property as an additional service to your client? With Pictometry it’s easy. Pictometry seamlessly integrates with ACI Report and provides 3D-like aerial photos of the Subject property, including overhead and NSEW views. Make your report file stand out, literally, above the competition.

Sounds good so far, doesn’t it? ACI2009™ offers new features and tools to help you pass along value-added services to your clients, and at the same time, help keep your office more efficient in the process. In these changing times, making smart choices keeps you ahead of the game.

Viva Las Convention

Rosanna Bracciale — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:00:00 GMT

Hey readers,

Hope you're all well out there. I've been working on my PC-monitor tan in preparation for our ACI2009™ release and the Valuation 2009 Expo. I've got my sequined jumpsuit and dark sunglasses; I have practiced my hip thrust and upper lip curl; and I'm ready for Vegas. For those of you who've bought a slot to attend the Expo or even a seat in my ACI Training, don't worry—I won't really be wearing spandex and delivering my training in a crooning warble.

This is an exciting time because we're really, really happy with the changes in ACI2009™. There's a ton of new features. Here are my favs:

All Shook Up with side-by-side page/comp viewing!
It's Now Or Never with full page addendum editing
(edit right in the normal addendum view!)
Suspicious Minds, look out for Pictometry aerial photography!
I Can't Help Falling In Love with movable floodmap icons!
Return to Sender with more eService vendors built in!
Are You Lonesome Tonight? Maybe some of the 27 new forms will keep you company!
And much, much more!

But wait, call within the next 10 minutes and we'll throw in 30 days of free MapPoint location mapping! Did you know that if you're already an ACI customer with an active Premier Service Subscription, you're eligible for this upgrade—free—on every machine registered to your account?

Anyhow, I'm going to get back to work but I just wanted to chat you up about the big changes.

A Little Less Conversation, eh?

Andy

It's not a hurri-CANT, it's a hurri-CAN!

Bea Acs — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Hello readers!

So I was thinking about a blog entry today and found it hard to think of a topic with all the wind and rain battering the palm trees outside my window. How on earth am I ever going to think of a creative and informative topic in the midst of a tropical storm?

And then it hit me! Not the branch, an idea! Why not take a few minutes to remind everyone about the backup features in ACI and some general PC tips?

Autosave! In Report, click Options > Environment. On the right side, make sure that box is checked to Auto save every X minutes. I'd recommend anywhere between 5 to 9 minutes. One minute autosave can cause memory logjams, so I'd stay away from that.
Backup reports! In Report, click Options > Environment > File Management. Do you have a check next to Backup Reports To? If so, then every report you create will have a .ABK counterpart that may survive spilling diet coke in the keyboard and random power outages.
UPS battery backup? They're cheap and reliable and having even a 5 minute Uninterruptable Power Supply under your desk just may save your computer from those bad power flickers and power surges.
Tape backup / external hard drive backup on the server? If you've got a fairly large amount of data on a server, make sure your network people also have set up a good backup system for your data folders. We'd be happy to talk to them to show them how to tell where the important ACI data is.
CD/DVD backup is available on most PCs. This might be a good solution for a small appraisal shop without a central server. Refer to your CD burner software for how best to create a backup CD, or call us for advice.
Consider subscribing to an ACI online office solution such as ACI365™ which allows for account management, client contact, order generation, and other tools from anywhere you have an internet connection—perfect for conducting business on the road!

Stormatically yours,
Andy

Just Give 'em an Appraisal–NOT

Rosanna Bracciale — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:30:00 GMT

Several years ago, I was teaching the 7-hour USPAP class and we got on the topic of Scope of Work. A discussion evolved along the lines of what kinds of valuation services a residential appraiser might be able to provide for a client other than a traditional appraisal with an interior inspection. We made a list of different services that began with the appraiser supplying nothing more than raw assessor and MLS data, included “desktop” and “drive by” appraisals and concluded with a Scope of Work that included an interior inspection, full confirmation of sales data, listings, trend analysis, etc. As I recall, the list included about eight or ten items.

After we would list a new item, the class would discuss the service and then move on to a more inclusive item. At each stop along the way, some old guy in the back row would holler out “just give ‘em an appraisal.” It soon became apparent that the old dude just didn’t “get it” when it came to scope of work. Now, if this fellow was capable of getting enough business doing whatever he defined as “an appraisal,” more power to him. However, most appraisers who want to attract new clients and be successful in filling the needs of their existing clientele understand the importance of tailoring the scope of the assignment to the needs of the client.

Just as an appraiser must develop the appraisal in an assignment-specific manner, the appraiser should be reporting the assignment results in accordance with the needs of the client and other intended users. To this end, ACI has developed the family of GPAR forms.

In the previous edition of The Compliance Corner, I discussed the GPAR forms and said I’d be going into additional detail in future installments. So to assist you in using the GPAR forms, let’s look at the first two pages of the GPAR Single Family 2006 and compare it to the URAR 2005 form. I’ll explain the key differences and the reasons for them as we take a section-by-section look at the significant differences between the GPAR single family and the URAR

To facilitate cloning from one format to another and to keep the learning curve short, we retained much of the URAR in terms of data fields and layout. However, to reduce appraiser’s liability and eliminate unnecessary data gathering, we eliminated a number of items. Click here to view the comparison.

In the next installment of Compliance Corner, we’ll look at pages 3 and 4 of the GPAR and pay special attention to how GPAR’s limiting conditions were designed to protect the appraiser from unwanted liability.

ACI Deploys Improved Website for Appraisers

Bea Acs — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:00:00 GMT

ACIWEB.COM Features Online Store, Users’ Forum, Instructional Videos,
Compliance Corner Blog, and more

August 7, 2008, Palm Coast, FL. ACI, a leading innovator of technology for the valuation industry, announced today the launch of its newly designed website, www.aciweb.com. ACI’s website has been updated to enhance the ACI user experience and provide quick access to detailed and easy-to-understand product information. The site brings together relative content, allowing visitors to receive all the latest ACI news, while reflecting the accomplishments that have shaped the company into the market leader it is today.

Appraisers will find the new site dynamic and easy-to-navigate, with better visual and communication tools for interaction with ACI users and industry peers.

New features include:

ACI Online Store: A quick and easy method for ACI clients to renew their Premier Service, Lighthouse™ and eService subscriptions online.
Talk Live: An on-demand, live chat that provides a fast, online way to speak with a sales rep about ACI products or services.
ACI Forum: An interactive venue where users can exchange thoughts and ideas with thousands of other ACI professionals and in-house experts.
ACI in-MOTION Videos: Dozens of short product videos covering features and functionality within the ACI Collection and related products. Videos range in length from 30 seconds to two minutes and allow ACI users to quickly learn how to accomplish tasks from an ACI Certified Instructor.
ACI Tech Docs: ACI’s documentation library, housing nearly two-dozen product reference guides for ACI, Lighthouse™, and CRAL users. The guides are easily downloaded and provide information about ACI and related products.
Compliance Corner: ACI’s director of compliance, Rich Heyn, an SRA- and AQB-certified USPAP instructor with more than 30 years of professional appraisal experience, shares his unique industry knowledge and perspective in an on-going series of articles. Dedicated to appraisal-related issues, Compliance Corner topics will range from USPAP Compliance and Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac guidelines to the HVCC, client pressure, identity theft, and unusual property appraising, among others.

“The redesigned ACIWEB.COM provides ACI users with faster, better information and easier ways to conduct business with the company,” said George Opelka, senior vice president of ACI. “Multiple, new informational resources and communication vehicles are just the beginning of the changes we have planned. This website overhaul underscores our commitment to the thousands of ACI users across the United States and Canada, and further demonstrates our ability to raise-the-bar as a leading provider of valuation technology.”

About ACI

ACI, a pioneer in crafting technology solutions for the valuation community, has gained industry-wide recognition and support from leaders in the field. ACI’s highly scalable appraisal solutions ensure a partnership tailored to the needs of the organizations it services. The ACI client base features many of North America's premier lenders, national appraisal companies, and real estate brokerage firms. From connecting appraisers nationwide to streamlining quality control, the flexibility provided gives organizations the means for processing appraisals and managing exceptions in a consistent and efficient manner.

ACI Sketch-tacular

Bea Acs — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:45:00 GMT

If you've been unplugged or neck deep following the Code of Conduct, we recently returned to Floorplan country with the launch of ACI Sketch™. Some of you ACI lifers may remember good ol' LaserDraw from the days of DOS. The response to ACI Sketch has been primo and many of y'all out there in ACI-land have already jumped on board.

But before the product launch, and as part of our ACI Sketch orientation, we here in Support were challenged with a contest: Draw me a dream! Superbly sketch! Fantastically floorplan! Architecturally amaze! You're probably thinking "No big deal, just draw Barbie's Dream Mansion. You guys are ACI Support, you know what to do" but therein lies the rub: Many techs (myself included) are much more familiar with the INTEGRATION of sketch programs, as opposed to the in-and-out expertise of USING the sketch programs. I draw simple squares and make sure they come back to the report and bring over the correct Sq Ft values. Now we're going to have a contest to sketch out MC Hammer's house? Hmmm... should be interesting.

You, as appraisers and office managers and experienced users would take great delight in watching us learn some of the tips N tricks you use every day to get efficient sketches pushed out the door. There were times I wanted to eat my mouse in frustration until I did the unthinkable for a Computer Nerd; I checked the help manual! And it gets better, our Training and Documentation dept even made videos! I don't even have to READ? ALRIGHT!

(in case you're wondering, all our training vids can be found here:
http://www.aciweb.com/training/videos.aspx)

Initially I started drawing a space shuttle and a palm tree. We are in Florida, right? But I settled on a more serious design and constructed a mansion that would make Trump blush. We even had techs drawing cartoon characters (drawing arcs is so easy with ACI Sketch). By the end of the first day most of us had our ACI Sketch printouts on display in the employee lounge for judges Randy, Paula and Simon (see American Idol). Just like Idol, the competition was fierce. I challenged myself to win so I could share the glory with my fellow sketch constituents via my blog. Unfortunately my dream was not to be. One of the judges pointed out that I didn't place any doors in my MC Hammer mansion. You can't touch this!

Rectangularly yours,
Andrew

Just let it go, man...

apriestap — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:54:00 GMT

Be still, my heart! New PC's don't have floppy disk drives! What's that all bout? Yeah, so the average appraisal doesn't even fit on a floppy anymore. So what? Yeah, floppies are hard to keep track of and go corrupt too often. Who cares? They are a part of my digital heritage! The good old days. EVERY computer should have a floppy disk, right?

It's blasphemous and preposterous. Who cares if technicians can boot Windows repair disks from CDs and jump drives. I want my good old 3.5" coffee-stained, dented metal 1.38 megs of storage floppy drive.

Ok, so I have not actually used one in a few years. But that's beside the point. Isn't it? It's a matter of principle. In fact, it's the principal principle.

Oh—hold on, it's my therapist on the other line... Let me get that and I will pick this blog up in a few mins.

Hi—I'm back. My therapist says I am hiding from the future. She says I am hanging on to the obsolete in my life. She says I need to let go of the things that have been superceded and updated. Embrace change. She also said it's time to turn off the night light, but that's a whole other issue.

How many of us have an 8 year old digital camera? You know, the one with SIXTEEN WHOLE MEGABYTES of memory on board. You may not even be using it but it sits there in the back of the drawer, cluttering your space. Who's got Street Atlas version 7 installation CDs rattling around? Or fourteen old ACI install discs?

Who's got Win98 and is afraid to update to XP or beyond? Why do we do this? There's a level of comfort in sticking with a known evil. But there's a point where you have to clean house.

So I took a look around: I'm still hanging on to frustrating problems long gone. I'm still hanging on to bad habits that I should have outgrown. There's an ancient Zen parable (or maybe I made it up? Who knows?). Two monks were walking along a road. They approach a river, and as they are about to cross, an attractive young lady approaches as well. One of the monks, in a manner MOST unacceptable, swoops her up in his arms and carries her across the river. The other monk watches in horror as almost every vow of temptation and reservation is shattered by this intimate act. They get to the other side of the river and the young lady parts ways. The monks continue on. Secretly, the stodgy monk is FUMING at the other. How could he do this? How dare he? Finally, he can't take it anymore and says "Why, brother, did you pick that woman up and carry her?" The helpful monk looks at his angry brother and says "I set her down on the far bank... why do you carry her still?"

And then they were enlightened and Andrew took another call. Anyhow, you can see where I am going with this. It helps to clean house (mentally and stuff-wise) and set down the past, march cheerfully into the future, and keep on keepin' on.

I'm going to go throw out my old DC40. Have a good day...

Andrew

The Street Scene

Bea Acs — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Hello! Welcome to my blog!

The powers that be offered me a little spot on our website to post my musings and thoughts on the things I see all around. I happily signed on... if any of you have ever met me, you know that getting me to talk is easy.

I hope that I can amuse you and educate you and learn from you as well. Let me tell you a bit about myself:

I have been a part of the ACI family since 1999 and I am currently a member of the Support leadership team. I love going out on the road and meeting appraisers. I love being part of the 'rent-a-nerd' program and visiting your offices to train and troubleshoot. I love speaking to you on the phone and solving problems with you and hearing your stories.

My workspace is cluttered with gadgets and sticky notes and cactuses* in pots. I have an aquarium on one side of my desk that houses the official Un-Official Tech Support Mascot, Entree the Crayfish. Entree looks like a small lobster and he provides me with countless hours of zany crustacean fun. (Maybe I need to get out more...)

My coworkers are my friends and my family. We are an eclectic group of solution-minded individuals who strive for good customer service. Every human being is a 'work in progress' and I try my hardest to help educate and enlighten the Support techs while staying open to new ideas myself. My days are filled with communication.

And that's what this blog is about. Communication. There are lots of press releases and news stories and industry articles out there. Many ways that an appraiser or tech can keep their fingers on the pulse of the industry. However, much of the information out there is the View From The Top. High ranking gov't officials. CEOs. Spokespersons for agencies. This blog is from the other end... one of the guys down on the street level. You and I communicate every day. Sometimes you get me on the phone. Sometimes you see me in the training. Sometimes I am emailing your tech with advice about your new server.

We are a community working together to solve problems and Get The Job Done Every Day and I am happy that technology today allows me to meet even more of you! I hope these blog entries will benefit you in some way... as they will undoubtedly benefit me for writing them.

Anyhow, I'm going back to work now. But it was a pleasure to type this and I look forward to many happy posts.

Bloggingly,
Andrew

* Yes, the plural is 'cacti' but 'cactuses' gets peoples' attention better.

The Compliance Corner

admin — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT

What's a Director of Compliance?

If my mother were alive, she’d probably ask me what a Director of Compliance does for a living. I’m not sure how I’d respond. I suppose I’d say that I help ACI’s clients comply with the things with which they need to comply. Then she’d want to know what those things might be, and I’d answer USPAP, secondary market guidelines and specific client requirements. Then I’d get a funny look from her and the conversation would turn to another topic.

In short, what I do is help ACI view things from the appraiser’s perspective. But “Director of Compliance” sounds better than “Perspective Maintainer” and certainly looks better on a business card.

Joking aside, maintaining the appraiser’s perspective is essential to our company and to our clients. Having an appraiser on staff ensures that our products and services are truly appraiser-focused. So in this and future articles, we’ll look at what ACI has done and is doing to offer our clients the best.

One of my first projects when I returned to ACI (I was here from 1980 to 1991) was the GPAR™ (General Purpose Appraisal Report) family of forms. When Fannie and Freddie revised their appraisal forms in 2005, it was immediately apparent that using the new forms for non-lending work was awkward at best and USPAP non-compliant at worst. The form specifies the intended use as a mortgage finance transaction and the intended user as the lender client. This means that the (unmodified) URAR is not suitable for appraisals where the intended use involves divorce, estate, pre-listing, pre-purchase or any use other than lending. Yes, you can make countermanding statements or insert alternate pages 4-6, but the resulting report may look unprofessional and the end result is still presented on a form that:

was designed for lending purposes
carries a high level of attendant liability
forces the appraiser to gather and report unneeded information

The GPAR forms were designed by ACI in response to our clients’ requests. Many clients wanted a general-purpose appraisal form that “looked and felt” much like the new URAR form and had a high level of data file compatibility to facilitate cloning between the general-purpose form and the URAR.

Presently, the GPAR family of forms includes:

GPAR-Single Family (2006)
GPAR-Condo (2006)
GPAR 2-4 (2007)
GPAR-Land (2006)
GPAR Flex (2007) RU SFR
GPAR Flex (2007) RU SFR Grid
GPAR Flex (2007) RU SFR Sm Grid

As the titles above indicate, we have general-purpose forms for single family, condo 2-4 family and vacant land. The last three, the flex forms, are designed to be used when the appraiser chooses to exercise the Restricted Use reporting option under USPAP. This seldom used reporting option can be a very useful tool that we’ll cover in a future installment of The Compliance Corner.

In the next installment, we’ll discuss the various GPAR forms, what they were designed to do and how you might want to utilize them.

ACI Strengthens Offering to Appraisers with ACI Sketch™

Bea Acs — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT

May 15, 2008, Palm Coast, FL. ACI, a leading innovator in providing technology solutions for the appraisal industry announced today that it has acquired the source code of the RapidSketch™ floorplan software from Buffalo-based Utilant, LLC. RapidSketch is one of the most popular software applications for creating accurate floorplan layouts and is used by tens of thousands of appraisal and insurance professionals throughout North America.

RapidSketch, which has already been integrated with ACI’s entire product line is now enhanced and re-branded as ACI Sketch™. ACI Sketch works on the desktop, tablet, and web, and incorporates numerous productivity-enhancing features:

Mouse and keyboard drawing with precision settings
Extensive drag-and-drop symbols library
Editor to create custom symbols
Library of stock labels
Drag center point of any line to quickly create an arc
Copy-and-paste cloning
Undo and Redo feature
Rectangle tool to draw the most common floor plan shape
Shapes tool for drawing octagonal decks, pentagonal sun-rooms, and geodesic domes
Image or blueprint tracing with auto-scaling
Angle, Rise & Run Display
Standard or metric support for U.S. and Canada appraisers
Display decimals or inches, or fractions of inches
Online help with video tutorials

According to ACI president Dave Roberts, "The acquisition of RapidSketch as the foundation for ACI Sketch complements our strategy of providing clients with a full-range of appraisal technology. While we will continue to offer appraisers a variety of sketch options, we have developed ACI Sketch to stand head-to-head with any product in the market. By owning the technology, we can develop and support the application without relying on any third party—translating into a better product with tighter integration and lower cost for ACI customers."

“ACI Sketch is one of the best new efficiency products for appraisers,” said Jay Delich, President of Arizona Appraisal Team, LLC. “We use it in the office and on our tablet PC’s in the field, both with great success. We are particularly impressed with the free-form approach that ACI Sketch brings to creating floorplans.”

Interested parties may contact ACI Sales at 1-800-234-8727 or online at www.aciweb.com

About ACI

ACI, a pioneer in crafting technology solutions for the valuation community, has gained industry-wide recognition and support from leaders in the field. ACI’s highly scalable appraisal solutions ensure a partnership tailored to the needs of the organizations it services. The ACI client base features many of North America’s premier lenders, national appraisal companies, and real estate brokerage firms. From connecting appraisers nationwide to streamlining quality control, the flexibility provided gives organizations the means for processing appraisals and managing exceptions in a consistent and efficient manner. Headquartered in Palm Coast, Florida, ACI’s management and development team possess the type of experience coveted by decision makers responsible for bringing synergy to their daily workflows and processes.

ACI and Pictometry® Bring Aerial Imaging to Appraisals

Rosanna Bracciale — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 17:32:00 GMT

New eService Connects Appraisal Professionals with a World Leader in Digital Oblique Aerial Imaging.

March 17, 2008, Palm Coast, FL. ACI, a leading innovator in providing technology solutions for the appraisal industry, and Pictometry®, a leading provider of geo-referenced aerial image libraries whose patented technology is used globally to capture oblique image libraries, announced today the two companies have reached an agreement that provides thousands of valuation professionals with access to 3-D like aerial imaging tools for use in the appraisal process.

Primarily used by government and private businesses, Pictometry captures up to 12 different views of any building, highway, or other land feature in an area. While traditional satellite and aerial photography is primarily straight down, or orthogonal, Pictometry’s all-digital images are taken at an angle, called oblique. This presents aerial photographs in a 3D-like manner. As a result, Pictometry’s image databases of cities, counties, and states provide a more information-rich source of visual data for its customers.

“Pictometry may redefine the way appraisal professionals research and review appraisal reports,” said George Opelka, senior vice president of ACI. “With Pictometry imagery accessible directly through the ACI eService platform, appraisal professionals can virtually fly around the subject property and neighborhood for which Pictometry images are available. We are excited to be at the forefront of this technology and to extend this newly integrated service to our customers.”

Pictometry joins a premier list of technology providers whose technology solutions are available to appraisal professionals through ACI’s eService connection. As a result of this integration, appraisers, lenders, and valuation professionals will have access directly through the ACI platform to Pictometry’s library of digital images of neighborhoods, landmarks, roads, and complete municipalities from multiple views.

“Pictometry is about visual intelligence and putting smart pictures in the hands—and at the fingertips—of those who need detailed visual information,” said Jim Murray, Pictometry’s director of Business to Business Development, adding, “We’re thrilled to be a part of this opportunity with ACI, and we expect this new tool will truly change how appraisers work.”

Interested parties may contact ACI Sales at 800-234-8727.

About ACI

ACI, a pioneer in crafting technology solutions for the valuation community, has gained industry-wide recognition and support from leaders in the field. ACI’s highly scalable appraisal solutions ensure a partnership tailored to the needs of the organizations it services. The ACI client base features many of North America’s premier lenders, national appraisal companies, and real estate brokerage firms. From connecting appraisers nationwide to streamlining quality control, the flexibility provided gives organizations the means for processing appraisals and managing exceptions in a consistent and efficient manner. Headquartered in Palm Coast, Florida, ACI’s management and development team possess the type of experience coveted by decision makers responsible for bringing synergy to their daily workflows and processes.

About Pictometry

Pictometry International Corp. is a leading provider of geo-referenced, aerial image libraries and related software. Pictometry has captured over 50 million digital aerial images in over 600 counties in the United States covering over 70 percent of the United States population. Using its proprietary imaging process, Pictometry® captures geo-referenced, high-resolution oblique (at an angle, producing a 3-D like view) and orthogonal (straight down) Intelligent Images®, within which structures and land features can be measured. Pictometry customizes and markets these technologies for government and commercial applications, offering non-traditional software solutions to aerial imaging needs. Pictometry’s imagery and software enables users to “See Everywhere, Measure Anything, Plan Everything”® using a patented digital information system. Pictometry has its headquarters in Rochester, NY and an office in Europe. Pictometry is a second order visualization tool that does not produce authoritative or definitive information (surveying) from its digital, aerial images. For more information on Pictometry, visit http://www.pictometry.com/.

HomePuter® Licenses ACI’s GPAR™ Forms

admin — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 17:48:00 GMT

Appraisers Benefit from ACI’s Alternative Use Appraisal Reports

June 28, 2007, Palm Coast, FL. ACI, the leading innovator in technology for the valuation industry, announced today that HomePuter®, a provider of real estate appraisal software, has entered into a special arrangement with ACI that allows HomePuter to provide ACI’s GPAR™ (General Purpose Appraisal Report) to its clients nationwide.

The desire for alternate use appraisal reports has been an industry wide need since the release of the updated Fannie Mae forms in 2005. More than a year ago, ACI released its first GPAR form, which was developed by ACI’s on-staff Senior Residential Appraiser (SRA), Richard Heyn.

As a result of positive feedback from the first GPAR release, ACI with its in-house appraiser, proceeded to develop a library of alternative-use forms to satisfy various property types. The GPAR forms now include: Condo, Single Family, Multi Family, and Land, with Restricted Use and the Plus Series forms to follow shortly.

“We recognize there are a number of alternate-use forms available in the market today. However, appraisers continue to ask for ACI’s GPAR. I applaud ACI for having the vision to create a winning solution for ACI appraisers and for working with HomePuter to provide GPAR to our appraisers,” said Andrew Romano, President, HomePuter.

“Appraisers, appraisal instructors, and appraisal software companies recognize GPAR as a viable solution to the non-lending assignment dilemma — and for obvious reasons. GPAR is a natural for cloning files and transferring data quickly, with no learning curve necessary for users familiar with the URAR. As a result of our arrangement with HomePuter, the HomePuter appraisers will now join the thousands of ACI appraisers with access to GPAR,” said George Opelka, Senior Vice President, ACI.

GPAR is currently available through ACI and HomePuter. Interested parties may contact George Opelka, ACI Senior Vice President.

About ACI

Headquartered in Palm Coast, Florida, ACI’s management and development team possess the type of experience coveted by decision makers responsible for bringing synergy to their daily workflows and processes.

Rich Heyn, ACI’s Compliance Director Leads ACI’s Continuing Education Program

admin — Mon, 21 May 2007 17:56:00 GMT

May 21, 2007, Palm Coast, FL. ACI, a leading innovator in technology for the valuation industry has added continuing education to its portfolio of services for appraisal professionals. Rich Heyn, SRA, ACI’s Compliance Director and an AQB certified USPAP instructor, serves as lead facilitator in ACI’s Continuing Education (“CE”) program.

Last month, Appraisers from all over the country attended the ACI hosted, Appraisal Institute approved seminar: Liability Management for Residential Appraisers. The seminar was developed by ACI’s Compliance Director, and attendees earned seven hours of CE credit.

Liability Management is designed to guide new appraisers in developing liability avoidance strategies early in their career, as well assist seasoned appraisers in assessing and modifying their existing loss prevention policies. The seminar covers issues relating to USPAP, the ASB, and Fannie Mae’s revised appraisal and property forms.

With over 30 years of appraisal experience, ACI’s Compliance Director currently develops and teaches a variety of continuing education seminars on a national basis. Professionals seek the knowledge of a seasoned professional when navigating an increasingly competitive and complex industry; and Rich’s expertise makes him ideally suited to assist appraisers today. Rich’s recent seminar on the URAR form, developed for the Appraisal Institute, was attended by over 10,000 appraisers in the past twelve months.

“Tapping into Rich’s knowledge and sharing this resource with appraisers, lenders, and other industry professionals is a significant coup for the entire valuation community,” said Dave Roberts, President, ACI.

“Our clients represent leaders throughout the valuation industry, and our seminars offer a learning environment that fulfills appraisers’ CE obligation, while at the same time, providing relevant and useful information.” said Rich Heyn. “I’m particularly excited that the ACI clients will be among the first to have access to two new seminars currently in development.”

Interested parties may visit http://www.appraiserschoice.com/ for information on upcoming CE seminars presented by ACI.

About ACI

ACI Acquires Real Estate Exchange Depot™

admin — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 17:58:00 GMT

Appraisal Software Leader Expands Product Offering

April 3, 2007, Palm Coast, FL. ACI, a leading innovator in technology for the valuation industry, announced today the acquisition of the Real Estate Exchange Depot™ (REXDepot™), an Internet-based management platform for appraisers.

Marking ACI’s fourth acquisition during the Microsoft Windows era, REXDepot™ rounds out an already robust product portfolio. REXDepot™ will continue to expand as a product under the guidance and control of ACI and will serve as a vehicle to further extend ACI’s leadership role in the appraisal technology industry.

“ACI is a dominant force in the world of appraisal software. REXDepot™ needed the vision, leadership, and commitment of an industry leader like ACI to reach the next level,” said Steve Smith, founder, REXDepot™. “As both the founder and as a customer of REXDepot™, I’m excited for my appraisal business and for all of the customers using the system.”

REXDepot™ was designed to improve operational efficiencies for appraisers and their clients. It boasts a complete, web-based, appraisal office management system, allowing appraisers to easily coordinate assignments, communicate with clients, track accounts receivables, prepare payroll reports, and more.

“REXDepot™ represents another exciting addition to the services that ACI provides to appraisers,” said Dave Roberts, President, ACI. “With this acquisition, we are committed to advancing the REXDepot™ platform for the benefit of both ACI clients, as well as non-ACI brand users.”

Interested parties may contact ACI Sales at 800-234-8727 for further information.

Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.

About ACI

ACI, a pioneer in crafting technology solutions for the valuation community, has gained industry-wide recognition and support from leaders in the field. ACI’s highly scalable appraisal solutions ensure a partnership tailored to the needs of the organizations it services. The ACI client base features many of North America's premier appraisers, lenders, and national appraisal companies. From connecting appraisers nationwide to streamlining quality control, the flexibility provided gives organizations the means for processing appraisals and managing exceptions in a consistent and efficient manner.

ACI2006™ Connects Apex Medina™

Rosanna Bracciale — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 19:29:00 GMT

Full Product Integration Available through ACI

March 26, 2007, Palm Coast, FL. ACI, a leading innovator in technology for the valuation industry, announced today that ACI2006™ now provides full integration with Apex Medina. This latest offering from Apex boasts a cleaner interface, easier usability, and over 50 enhancements and features.

“ACI was our first integration partner, and it all began with a hand shake back in the 90’s. That means a lot to me,” commented Randall H. Garrett, CEO and founder of Apex Software. “Ever since then, we’ve enjoyed a unique relationship with ACI that continues to this very day. We’re ecstatic about the Medina integration with a great product like ACI, and we’re looking forward to doing even more together.”

The Medina integration is just the latest development in ACI’s continual affirmation of its commitment to clients through enhancements, unique offerings, and integrated products from industry partners. The latest generation of Apex’s desktop sketching software ties together functionality with efficiency and allows ACI users to take advantage of feature-rich pairings that add to the many benefits already available through ACI.

“I am always pleased when we can provide our clients the latest industry product and the Medina integration is no exception. Apex has been a partner of ACI since 1995 and their products are an offering that we are pleased to sell, as well as support, directly.” said George Opelka, Senior Vice President, ACI.

Apex Medina is now available through ACI at introductory pricing. Interested parties may contact ACI Sales at 800-234-8727.

About Apex

Apex Software is a business applications developer serving 130,000 customers in the real estate valuation and mobile professional markets. Apex Sketching Software, an industry standard for 20 years, offers fast, easy, high quality sketching and enclosed area calculations. For more information, contact Apex at 800-858-9958 or visit http://www.apexwin.com/v5/home.php.

About ACI

ACI, a pioneer in crafting technology solutions for the valuation community, has gained industry-wide recognition and support from leaders in the field. ACI’s highly scalable appraisal solutions ensure a partnership tailored to the needs of the organizations it services. The ACI client base features many of North America's premier appraisers, lenders, and national appraisal companies. From connecting appraisers nationwide to streamlining quality control, the flexibility provided gives organizations the means for processing appraisals and managing exceptions in a consistent and efficient manner.

RapidSketch™ Now Available in ACI2006™

Rosanna Bracciale — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 20:34:00 GMT

Advanced Sketching Solution Connects with The Appraisers Choice™

November 20, 2006, Palm Coast, FL. ACI, a leading innovator in technology for the valuation industry, announced today that RapidSketch™, an advanced software application for creating floor plan diagrams, is now fully integrated with ACI2006™. RapidSketch™ is a product of Utilant, a New York-based company that provides sketching solutions for appraisers and insurance inspectors.

With RapidSketch™, ACI brings yet another offering to the already feature-rich ACI2006™ appraisal software. Combining innovation and utility, RapidSketch™ introduces several new concepts to the floor plan software industry that make mouse drawing intuitive, easy, and incredibly powerful.

“We are thrilled that ACI, the definitive leader amongst appraisal software companies has completed the RapidSketch™ integration. Offering RapidSketch™ with ACI2006™ means that we are positioned alongside a product that reaches thousands of appraisers each day and able to help them experience a faster, more efficient way to complete their appraisal reports. We couldn’t ask for a better partner or product platform in this industry,” said Patrick Davis, partner, Utilant.

“Appraisers took an instant liking to RapidSketch™ when the product was initially previewed at the Valuation Expo in Las Vegas,” said George Opelka, vice president, ACI. “With RapidSketch™, ACI continues its commitment of providing superior product choice and stability while meeting the ever-growing needs of appraisers."

RapidSketch™ is now available with introductory pricing. All interested parties may contact ACI Sales at 800-234-8727

About ACI

New ACI eService Integrates with Bluebook, Provides Cost Data Solution for Appraisers Nationwide

Rosanna Bracciale — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 19:43:00 GMT

ACI Appraisers to Benefit from Integrated Real-time Data

September 6, 2006, Palm Coast, FL. ACI, a leading innovator in technology for the valuation industry, announced today that it has signed an agreement to offer Bluebook’s InsureBASE™ product, a residential property analytics and replacement cost solution. As a result of this agreement, Bluebook now joins a premier list of eServices available nationwide to thousands of ACI appraisers.

Bluebook has been in the rebuilding, repair and replacement cost business for over 40 years, serving residential real estate and insurance industries. InsureBASE™ provides a reliable and objective estimate of the cost to rebuild a property in the event of a total loss.

In order to improve accuracy, Bluebook’s data is based on numerous information sources including actual total losses, related contractor bids, and insurance claim audits, rather than large scale tract development or ZIP code average pricing. This allows InsureBASE™ to support costs down to the neighborhood level. In order to minimize cost update delays, InsureBASE™ data is updated as the market requires, through its integrated live server, providing current calculations in line with today’s market conditions.

ACI2006™ will incorporate a custom eService connection to InsureBASE™ for appraisers to interact with Bluebook’s estimator. InsureBASE™ performs the intricate cost calculations required to produce detailed breakouts with applicable, trade-specific depreciation, and through the ACI eService integration, cost calculation results are retrieved in real-time and automatically incorporated into the appraisal report.

“ACI appraisers rely on and appreciate the efficiencies gained through integrations to services like Bluebook. This special arrangement allows ACI to pass along benefits to our clients, while offering Bluebook products at a substantial discount. This is just one example of The Appraiser’s Choice™ working at its best. Commitment to quality, containment of costs, and upholding the values of the industry, all while offering choices that make a difference; these are some of the reasons appraisers prefer ACI,” said George Opelka, Vice President, ACI.

“The integration with ACI brings the best of both worlds to appraisers in one application,” said Silvia San Nicolas, Senior Corporate Strategist and General Counsel for Bluebook. “Delivering InsureBASE™ with ACI software offers appraisers superior cost calculations through a highly accurate, integrated, easy to use cost analytics tool. This will save appraisers time and enhance confidence in their URAR Cost Approach and Replacement Cost Calculations.”

About ACI

About The Bluebook

Bluebook International, Inc. provides accurate "on demand" residential cost analysis and value reports for nearly 91% of the nation's single family residences. Users can easily determine replacement, actual cash value, depreciation, structure value, property risk and repair costs affordably within minutes from a single source. Bluebook's proven solutions reduce cycle time, enhance productivity and mitigate risks for the property and casualty insurance industry, residential real estate, lending, appraisal, and related services markets. Bluebook's web services solutions is an industry first technology that readily integrates with client systems using award winning technology and standards.

ACI Releases General Purpose Appraisal Report (GPAR™)

Rosanna Bracciale — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 20:46:00 GMT

GPAR™ and AI Reports™ Provide ACI Appraisers with Choices
for Alternate Use Appraisal Assignments

March 6, 2006, Palm Coast, FL. ACI, a leading innovator in technology for the valuation industry, today announced the release of GPAR™ (General Purpose Appraisal Report) and AI Reports™ as alternate-use valuation products that are available in ACI 2006, the latest release of ACI’s signature appraisal software.

The reasons behind the development of alternate valuation reports are the changes necessitated by Fannie Mae’s new forms. The 2005 Uniform Residential Appraisal Report (“URAR”) is limited to appraisals involving lenders and lending transactions; as a result, the new URAR is not appropriate for appraisals where the intended use involves divorce, estate, pre-listing, pre-purchase or any use other than lending. As a result of these changes, the Appraisal Institute developed AI Reports™ and ACI developed GPAR™.

“AI Reports is an excellent vehicle for reporting assignment results in a variety of situations,” said Rich Heyn, SRA, and Director of Compliance for ACI. “Still many of our clients wanted something that ‘looked and felt’ more like the new URAR and had a high level of data file compatibility for easy ‘cloning’ between the two formats. We responded with GPAR, which is essentially a condensed, more logically sequenced version of the URAR with a very ‘appraiser-friendly’ set of assignment conditions and plenty of room for expanded scope of work disclosure.”

“GPAR is ACI’s answer to an industry need and a reinforcement of our commitment to stay in touch with appraisers at the individual level. We are pleased with the final result and want our clients to know that we intend to continue providing products that provide answers to the issues that arise as the industry continues to evolve,” said George Opelka, Vice President of ACI.

About ACI

Richard Heyn, SRA to Serve as ACI Director of Compliance

Rosanna Bracciale — Thu, 23 Feb 2006 20:51:00 GMT

Heyn’s Industry Expertise to Provide Guidance to ACI Appraisers

February 23, 2006, Palm Coast, FL. ACI, a leading innovator in technology for the valuation industry, announced today that Richard Heyn, SRA, will serve as the company’s Director of Compliance. Heyn, a highly visible and recognized name in the appraisal industry, will prove an invaluable asset to ACI clients as they face continual changes associated with the appraisal profession.

As the Director of Compliance, Heyn will assist ACI’s product design team in developing concepts that aid ACI appraisers in maintaining compliance with USPAP, secondary market guidelines, and individual lender requirements. Additionally, ACI will leverage Heyn’s skills to provide a number of direct and indirect value-added services for appraisers, including speaking engagements at appraisal-related seminars and trade shows, an ACI Advisory Group, and “Ask Rich” — a Q&A column dedicated to appraisal-related issues.

“The opportunity to work with a world class organization like ACI and have the ability to make a positive impact on the appraisal community is a tremendous privilege,” said Heyn, “I look forward to combining my expertise with the resources, knowledge, and dedication of ACI.”

An appraiser and pioneer in the development of appraisal-related software and technology, Heyn’s background and credentials also include AQB Certified USPAP instructor, seminar developer and industry educator. As an educator, Heyn has developed and instructed continuing education seminars for the Appraisal Institute for over 10 years—his most recent seminar was attended by more than 10,000 appraisers. Heyn’s knowledge will provide ACI appraisers with industry expertise that will further enhance ACI’s product development by targeting specific needs of the industry with a high level of accuracy and relevancy.

“Having Rich as our Director of Compliance further underscores our focus and commitment to appraisers,” said Dave Roberts, President of ACI. “He’s been extremely active in developing and teaching seminars that closely relate to the business, and his extensive interaction with appraisers nationwide makes him an excellent resource from which both ACI and its clients will benefit.”

About ACI

Headquartered in Palm Coast, Florida, ACI’s management and development team garner the type of experience coveted by decision makers responsible for bringing synergy to their daily workflows and processes. ACI’s solutions are custom-configured to fit the unique characteristics of each enterprise, at the same time offering the stability of tried and true technology that works in today’s market.

ACI Sues Appraisal.com

Rosanna Bracciale — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 20:55:00 GMT

February 6, 2006, Palm Coast, FL. ACI, a leading innovator in technology for the valuation industry, announced that its corporate parent, ISO Claims Services, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Insurance Services Office, Inc. (“ISO”), has filed a civil action in Federal Court in Jacksonville, Florida against Appraisal.com, Inc. of Buffalo, New York .

The lawsuit alleges, among other things, that Appraisal.com and its Day One division, in violation of ACI’s rights, reverse engineered all or parts of ACI’s proprietary computer programs and computer files and distributed copies of ACI proprietary software without ACI’s consent. ACI seeks unspecified damages and injunctive relief.

About ACI

Headquartered in Palm Coast, Florida, ACI’s management and development team garner the type of experience coveted by decision makers responsible for bringing synergy to their daily workflows and processes. ACI’s solutions are custom-configured to fit the unique characteristics of each enterprise, at the same time offering the stability of tried-and-true technology that works in today’s market.

About ISO

ISO is a leading provider of products and services that help measure, manage and reduce risk. ISO provides data, analytics and decision-support solutions to professionals in many fields, including insurance, finance, real estate, health services, government and human resources. Clients use ISO's databases and services to classify and evaluate a variety of risks and detect potential fraud. In the U.S. and around the world, ISO's services help customers protect people, property and financial assets.

ACI Terminates Its Remaining Relationship with Appraisal.com

Rosanna Bracciale — Thu, 02 Feb 2006 18:45:00 GMT

Appraisal.com no longer has access to the thousands of ACI and Lighthouse™ eService enabled appraisers

February 2, 2006, Palm Coast, FL. ACI, a leading innovator in technology for the valuation industry, announced that it has terminated its Electronic Bridge Agreement with Appraisal.com, effective immediately. The termination means that ACI will no longer provide eService integration to the Appraisal.com network through the ACI and Lighthouse™ software products.

Lighthouse provides integration across major appraisal software brands and continues to be the preferred data delivery format for many of the industry’s largest appraisal companies. ACI eServices is a component of both ACI and Lighthouse that provides thousands of appraisers with the ability to deliver appraisals electronically.

“The relationship with Appraisal.com did not materialize as we had expected; as such, we can not move forward with them as a business partner,” said Dave Roberts, President of ACI. “This action was in the best interest of our company and customers.”

About ACI

Headquartered in Palm Coast, Florida, ACI’s management and development team garner the type of experience coveted by decision makers responsible for bringing synergy to their daily workflows and processes. ACI’s solutions are custom-configured to fit the unique characteristics of each enterprise, at the same time offering the stability of tried-and-true technology that works in today’s market.

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Appraisers Benefit from ACI’s Alternative Use Appraisal Reports

Rich Heyn, ACI’s Compliance Director Leads ACI’s Continuing Education Program

ACI Acquires Real Estate Exchange Depot™

Appraisal Software Leader Expands Product Offering

ACI2006™ Connects Apex Medina™

Full Product Integration Available through ACI

RapidSketch™ Now Available in ACI2006™

Advanced Sketching Solution Connects with The Appraisers Choice™

New ACI eService Integrates with Bluebook, Provides Cost Data Solution for Appraisers Nationwide

ACI Appraisers to Benefit from Integrated Real-time Data

ACI Releases General Purpose Appraisal Report (GPAR™)

GPAR™ and AI Reports™ Provide ACI Appraisers with Choicesfor Alternate Use Appraisal Assignments

Richard Heyn, SRA to Serve as ACI Director of Compliance

Heyn’s Industry Expertise to Provide Guidance to ACI Appraisers

ACI Sues Appraisal.com

ACI Terminates Its Remaining Relationship with Appraisal.com

Appraisal.com no longer has access to the thousands of ACI and Lighthouse™ eService enabled appraisers

GPAR™ and AI Reports™ Provide ACI Appraisers with Choices
for Alternate Use Appraisal Assignments