Another year has ended. In the last five months there have not been many posts to this blog and I apologize. This is because the real estate appraisal business was extremely good in NW Oregon and SW Washington. There was just no time for blogging. I appraised over twenty-six million dollars in real estate from August thru the end of 2010. Business was so good that I recently hired two employees and made some investments in technology.
One of the employees that I hired is Jim Anderson. I worked with Jim for a short period of time while working for my previous employer. Jim is an asset to the company because of his experience working for three other real estate appraisal companies in NW Oregon, experience owning a successful business, and outstanding computer skills. Jim is also the type of person who, when he is unsure about something, will research and find the right answer. When Jim and I work together on an assignment, he brings a different perspective and we finish with a product that is better than any one of us could produce individually. I look forward to our continued partnership.
Another employee that I recently hired is Lucas Warren. Lucas has a teaching degree and experience in renovating vintage real estate in Portland, Oregon. Lucas is an asset to the company because he is articulate, knows what it takes to repair deteriorated or functionally obsolete properties, and always presents himself professionally. I have not yet had much opportunity to work with Lucas due to the holidays and a slow start to the year; but, I am hopeful that 2011 is prosperous so that we can work together more.
In recent months, I made investments in technology. One of those investments is a Motion J3500 tablet PC. Many people who see this computer think it is similar to an iPad and in many ways, they are correct. However, the computer is much more than an iPad. The J3500 is a water resistant, drop resistant, powerful tablet PC that runs on Windows 7. The computer has as much or more computing power than most desktop computers. The J3500 uses an Intel Core I-7 processor and a solid-state hard drive. The monitor can be seen in any amount of light, inside or outside. This computer allows me to work in the field like a tablet using the penabled screen for drawing sketches (no reentering data), dock in my car for navigation, and dock at my office desk to use just like a desktop computer. There is no switching between computers. The penabled screen allows me to mark up pdfs and sign forms using the stylus just like I would write notes on paper. When I’m in the field, I can catch email orders, quotes, or requests for updates as though I am sitting at my desktop without the need to sync between computers. This new computer means increased customer service, accuracy, and efficiency.
I’m hoping that the improvements made to the company at the end of 2010, along with continued strong lending activity, will translate to a productive 2011. If you found this information interesting or useful, please subscribe to my blog. If you need Oregon or Washington residential real estate appraisal services for any reason, please remember us. If you’re a fellow appraiser and you have questions about going digital in the field, don’t hesitate to ask. I love to help.
Thanks for reading,
Gary