The Addendum Q2 2024

Our appraisers are among the hardest working in the industry. We regularly share tips and best practice ideas to help. Follow us on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on the latest ACI announcements, tips & tricks, industry news & insights, events, and more.

ACI FYI

ACI Sky™ now Integrated with Restb.ai Technology

ACI is excited to announce the integration of Restb.ai into the ACI Sky™ platform! The power of ACI Sky combined with Restb.ai’s advanced AI technology revolutionizes the quality control of the appraisal process, ensuring consistent appraisal reports, quick turnarounds, and improved property insights for AMCs and lenders. View the full press release.

New AIC Forms Available for Report Pro™

ACI’s latest WebUpdate includes new upgrades and enhancements for creating and delivering AI Ready™ (.ENV) files. Simply run a standard ACI WebUpdate to install this ENV update. (Please see ACI Tech Tip.) Learn more about AIReady and delivering a file in ENV format.

New AIReady™ Update Available for ACI Report™

ACI’s latest WebUpdate includes new upgrades and enhancements for creating and delivering AI Ready™ (.ENV) files. Simply run a standard ACI WebUpdate to install this ENV update. (Please see ACI Tech Tip.) Learn more about AIReady and delivering a file in ENV format.

ACI Tech Tip

Running a WebUpdate!

Running ACI and CSA WebUpdates keep your software current with the latest rules, forms, and functions. We recommend to run an update at least once a month. Follow the instructions or view the quick video tutorial below.
  1. In ACI Report, close out any open reports.
  2. Go to Help > ACI WebUpdate or close ACI Report and click on the ACI WebUpdate icon on your desktop.
  3. Click Go to begin the WebUpdate.
  4. Once the update finishes click View Notes or Close to exit.
  1. In Report Pro, close out any open reports.
  2. Go to Help > CSA WebUpdate or close Report Pro and click the CSA WebUpdate icon on your desktop.
  3. Click Go to begin the WebUpdate.
  4. Once the update finishes click View Notes or Close to exit.

An active ACI or CRAL membership is required to run a WebUpdate.
View and compare our membership plans.

About Me: I have been with ACI/First American for 4 years. I monitor and assist our OneCall Team to provide customer assistance, via email, chat, and phone support.

I was born in Baltimore, MD, but lived in PA for most of my life. After high school, I joined the Army for 8 years and learned communications and computers. I went to WyoTech and learned how to work on all major brands of motorcycles including Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, and Suzuki. I then went on to learn about off-road vehicles and later received my associate’s degree in Shop Management.

Movies – Action or Comedy
TV – Any good Anime
Music – Anything but country, but I love me some Tool
Sports – World Superbike Racing
Food – Pizza
Hobbies – Working on my motorcycle, playing video games, and hanging with my family
What is the most useful thing you own? Power tools
Who would you like to be stuck in an elevator with? Or not? Ryan Reynolds
Travel you’ve done or wish to do – Been to Iraq want to go to Paris, France
Favorite Childhood memories – First time on a dirt bike and ATV
What did you want to be when you grew up? Astronaut and a Motorcycle racer
Who has been the most influential person in shaping who you are today?  My wife and my 4 kids

Join fellow appraisers from across the country at Valuation Expo now held at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas! Connect, learn, and meet with ACI and other top industry leaders to stay current on the latest advancements in the valuation industry. View the complete schedule of networking events, educational offerings, discussions, and more.

Visit the ACI Team at the trade show (Booths 1&2), explore our latest appraisal innovations, and take a swing at a chance to win big at the 2nd annual Val Expo Open.

ACI customers can save 20% off trade show and/or general session passes by entering coupon code: ACI2024. Click here to learn more.

ACI Self-Service Center

Supporting you Every Step of the Way

Visit the ACI Self-Service Center, offering assistance at any time of the day, right at your fingertips! Our Self-Service Center is a comprehensive hub for both newcomers and seasoned ACI users. This collection of guides and instructional articles are designed to boost your workflow efficiency!

ACI Promotions

Follow us on LinkedIn for special offers throughout the year!  View our ongoing promotions like our Military Discount and Referral Programs to save on your next membership renewal.

SaveTime and Schedule an Appointment Online

ACI offers contact appointments for your sales, accounting, and support needs. Schedule an appointment today!

Submitting reports to Solidifi

  1. When the report is complete and signed, navigate to Tools > Review Master to run Solidifi PAR Logic PRO report validation.
  2. To submit the report, you must have a “Pass” rating.
    a. If there are errors, they will be displayed at the bottom of the screen. Click on the relevant item to take you to the section of the report that needs to be corrected.
    b. When there are no errors, click on eServices > Send Report > Solidifi.
  3. A pop-up will appear with BLUE text.
  4. Click on the BLUE text, and a browser window will open with an order submission screen for Solidifi. Click on Submit Report

AIC 2024 Forms Guide

Overview

Beginning July 1, 2024, appraisers will be expected to use the Appraisal Institute of Canada’s new 2024 version of their forms. These forms are available in both English and French and include:

  • AIC Full
  • AIC Driveby
  • AIC Desktop
  • AIC Land
  • AIC Market Rent Appraisal
  • AIC Market Rent Consulting Report
  • AIC Progress Inspection Report

To obtain the newest versions of the forms, appraisers must have an active CRAL subscription and run their WebUpdates (instructions below). For information on form changes, please reference the documentation provided by AIC. Don’t hesitate to contact the client for instructions on submitting appraisals for delivery.

System Requirements

The following specifications will provide the fewest resources for Report Pro™ to run on your system. This will greatly impact your experience using our software.

  • OS: Microsoft Windows 10 or Higher
  • CPU: 2GHz +
  • RAM: 6GB +
  • Storage: 5GB + (additional space will be needed for saved reports)
  • .NET Framework 3.5 & 4.5
  • Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 and Higher
  • Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Opera
  • For optimal performance, we recommend the following:
  • OS: Microsoft Windows 10 or Higher
  • CPU: 3.5GHz +
  • RAM: 8GB +
  • Storage: 100GB + (additional space will be needed for saved reports)

Unsupported Operating Systems

  • Windows 8.1 or lower
  • MacOS
  • ChromeOS
  • Linux

Unsupported Environments

In addition to the following environments, ACI does not support any operating system or program, and its vendor no longer provides support or updates.

  • Arm-based processors
  • Virtualization (Parallels, Boot Camp, VMWare)
  • VPN/Terminal services
  • NAS (Networked Attached Storage)
  • OneDrive, DropBox, or other cloud-based file-sharing platforms
  • Apex v6 and lower, Winsketch, and RapidSketch

 

Getting Started

You must run the CSA Web Update utility to ensure you have the software’s most recent version and install the latest forms.

  1. Go to Help > CSA WebUpdates OR close Report Pro and click the Web Update icon on your desktop.
  2. Click Go to begin the Web Update.
  3. Click View Notes or Close to exit once the update finishes.

 

Creating reports

The new forms can be found on the Select Report Pak screen when creating a new report, and the form name will be followed by the year (2024). You can create a new report in three ways:

  1. Click File > New.
  2. Click the New Report icon.
  3. Press CTRL+N on the keyboard.
  4. Enter the File Name for the New Report and click New. Select the Report Pak Report Template (optional) and Report Picklist.
  5. Click OK to create the report.

 

Cloning Reports

To clone a report, you must create a new one and identify the file you wish to clone.

  1. You can create a new report in three ways:
    • Click File > New.
    • Click the New Report icon.
    • Press CTRL+N on the keyboard.
  1. Enter the File name for the New Report and click Clone.
  2. Select the Report Pak Report Template (optional) and Report Picklist.
  3. Click OK to proceed.
  4. Enter the File Name to Clone From and click OK.
  5. Select the components you wish to clone:
    • Manually: Manually select the individual components to include.
    • Select all: Automatically includes all components.
    • Deselect all: Automatically excludes all components.
    • Invert: Automatically deselects currently selected components and selects previously not selected components.
  1. Click OK to accept the selections and clone the report.

 

Change Report Type

  1. Go to File > Save As > New Form Type.
  2. Enter a new File Name and click Save.
  3. Select the new Report Pak and click OK.

 

Adding a Location Map

  1. You can generate a new location map in three ways:
    • Click Tools > Mapping > Sky Maps.
    • Click eServices > Location Maps > Sky Maps.
    • Click the Location Map icon on the toolbar.

Report Pro will adjust the map to fit your Subject and Comparables at the Location Map screen. Hover your mouse over the Subject or Comparable(s) to edit or adjust. Click Accept Map to save the map to the current report or the X to exit without saving the map. Select the Location Map page at the Import screen and click OK to import the map.

Note: AIC requires location maps to be displayed in Hybrid view. To set this option as default, follow these steps:

  1. Go to eServices > Options > Mapping > Sky Maps.
  2. Select the drop-down for Map Style to Hybrid.
  3. Click OK to save changes.

 

Sign Report

  1. In Report Pro, go to Tools > Sign Report.
  2. Select your name from the dropdown list.
  3. Enter your signature password.
  4. Highlight Appraiser at the Sign As screen and click Sign, then Done.

 

Adding the Supervisory Signature

  1. In Report Pro, go to Tools > Sign Report.
  2. Select your name from the dropdown list.
  3. Enter your signature password.
  4. Highlight Supervisory Appraiser at the Sign As screen and click Sign then Done.

 

Enable Supervisory Signature on the Letter of Transmittal

With a report open:

  1. Go to Options > Report > Letter of Transmittal > Display.
  2. Check the box next to Print Supervisory Appraiser Info.

Note: This option will remain enabled for new reports.

 

How to Run Review Master

Review Master analyzes reports for missing or incorrectly formatted data. When running Review Master on a report, the data in each field is validated against a set of rules. Messages are displayed for each field that failed validation:

  • Errors: These items must be corrected to receive a ‘Pass’.
  • Warnings: These items may require comments or corrections.
  • Instructional: Items to be addressed for full compliance or acknowledged.

You can check your report in two ways:

  1. Go to Tools > Review Master.
  2. Click the Review Master icon on the toolbar.
  3. Select Par Logic for the ruleset.
  4. Click Run to begin. Review Master will run the Par Logic rules against the file to verify compliance.

 

Once finished, the Review Master will display its findings. Double-click on each error to be directed to the specific field.

 

 

 

Web Updates

Once installation and registration are complete, you must run the Web Update utility to ensure you have the most recent version of the software. You should be prompted to run this update at the end of the installation. You may also use the Web Update icon on your desktop.

  1. In Report Pro, close out any open reports.
  2. Go to Help > CSA WebUpdates OR close Report Pro and click the Web Update icon on your desktop.
  3. Click Go to begin the Web Update.
  4. Click View Notes or Close to exit once the update finishes.

System Requirements

The following specifications will provide the fewest resources for CRAL to run on your system. This will greatly impact your experience using our software.

  • OS: Microsoft Windows 10 or Higher
  • CPU: 2GHz +
  • RAM: 6GB +
  • Storage: 5GB + (additional space will be needed for saved reports)
  • .NET Framework 3.5 & 4.5
  • Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 and Higher
  • Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Opera
  • For optimal performance, we recommend the following:
  • OS: Microsoft Windows 10 or Higher
  • CPU: 3.5GHz +
  • RAM: 8GB +
  • Storage: 100GB + (additional space will be needed for saved reports)