Use an excel spread sheet to keep track of your work orders, payments etc. With one single click I can see what the next checks are going to be like. Kinda makes me feel good to see the numbers add up!

I found a new website for finding birds / crows distance. I found it when the last site I was using was down. My favorite part of this straight line calculator is it always does the 2 past the decimal. The last site I was using would use feet if it was under 1000 feet.

http://www.wayop.com/Crows%20Distance%20Calculator.htm

Hope this helps some others out.

Rob

It does not look like it worked as a link. Here is a try again.

http://www.wayop.com/Crows%20Distance%20Calculator.htm

Rob

[quote=Doin' bpose]I just came up with a new one for occupancy checks when you just can't tell for sure if anyone lives there. Leave a 'tell marker' on the door, like your card or a note taped to the window next to the door. When you return days later you will learn that it has been removed or that it remains. Either is a great clue to share with your AM. It makes O-check trips more meainingful. [/quote]

I have monitored a number of properties and there have been times where the occupant(s) continue to enter and exit the structure without touching their NOD, NTS, business cards, etc. So, if this is the case there are a few tricks I utilize:

1) Check the meter. If they have power on, that meter will indicate that.

2) Place a piece of scotch tape at the base of the front door so that it is positioned on the door AND the door frame. If that
door opens up, the tape gets repositioned. Plus scotch tape is practically invisible and the it is likely that the occupant wont see it.

3) The best tip I can give is TALK TO THE NEIGHBORS! They know everything there is to know. They'll tell you when they moved out,
what moving company, etc. Plus, in some instances, you are setting up a pair of eyes for yourself. Make sure to give them your card and
get their number too.

4) Check the mailbox... it is policy that once USPS learns of a vacant property, they tape a bright colored card to the interior
of the box that says VACANT. If there is mail in it, don't mess with it until you take possession.

5) Go check out the property at night in the dark. Occupants have a tendancy to use light.

6) If all else fails, call PG&E (in California at least)or your water dept... They won't give you contact info or billing names, but they will tell you whether or not service is on and, to determine tenant vs. owner, give them the name of the homeowner and PG&E will confirm whether or not that is the name on the account. They will only say yes or no... that's it.

Quick question for fellow members. How do y'all find contractors online to get multiple bids on ur reo? Im just curious what method you used.

I've com across a few

servicemagic.com
ecoverybid.com
angielist.com

What are u guys using?

On my desktop I have a folder for each listing. Today I just came up with the idea of starting a 'running' notepad file for each property. Into this file I copy and paste each email relating to the property. I might switch over to a word doc, but for now I have established a communication log, which already exists in my email files, but is scattered. This will be a good addition I believe.

bing.com/maps aerials are amazing...

This would be very good for just about any type of transaction for showing a conversation log. I have been shrinking my emails (to save ink) and printing them, one above the other, to save paper. (This is on just the important emails). But copying and pasting into a Word document, I wonder if a court or an arbitration or real estate board would consider them as actual emails because you can actually change the words on a Word Doc. Although they may consider my way of saving/printing emails questionable also. I had one transaction that I saved the emails as pdf files and put them on a SansDisk. I may go back to that. We're in a world that wants to sue any and every one if they're not happy about something (even if it's they're own fault). Maybe I could purchase the Disks in bulk for a cheap price.

I can share some software tips - I worked with lots of agents for two years at the BPO Automation Group, and recently left to startup a new company.

Some stuff that comes to mind:

ROBOFORMS: An REO industry standard, but it slows your web-browser down for most people, and adds clutter to your screen. The solution?

For many agents, the solution is a second web-browser: especially if you have several toolbars on IE. Try downloading Mozilla Firefox. It can be helpful to have two web-browsers anyways: for instance, you can be logged into eMortgage Logic with two separate accounts, because they don't share cookies :o)

SPEED UP YOUR BROWSER! In Internet Explorer, goto Tools -> Manage Add Ons, and then disable the junk (I disabled everything; it still works fine). You can renable it later if need be.

Disabling add-ons doesn't remove them, but DOES make your browser faster. Most agents are shocked at the difference.

UNINSTALL Google Toolbar and/or Yahoo Toolbar unless you really use them.

GET REGISTERED! I'm going to mention www.bpo-companies.com as a solid list of links to vendors you can register with. It's sponsored by my old company, but worth checking out nonetheless.

Just today on REOPro, somebody put up a "get registered" offer for sale at $300 to $700 for them to do it for you. Interesting, but everybody I know does it themselves. That should be your first step in this area - get registered, get to know your asset managers at the various providers.

Also, if you're feeling lost with tons of orders, you can login to my new project http://www.team-workflow.com (user: leader, pass: password) and see if it might help. Maybe not - it's a tracking tool, but maybe Excel does the trick for you as well (90% of agents use Excel).

I love Firefox, it's my regular browser, but I am amazed at how many BPO sites are not compatible with it.

#2 Going crazy trying to remember all of your login user name/passwords?

Get RoboForm! http://www.roboform.com/ It stores all of them for you! I bought the RoboForm2Go version and it's on a USB key. All you have to do is click on Logins and select the web site. It automatically goes to the web site (as it stores the web site address as a link) and enters your user name & password! I like the portability of the USB version as I can use it at the office and bring it home as well. Nothing gets installed on your PC, just the USB key. This can also help you login faster for some of those orders!

Thank you for posting that!! Trying to remember all of my passwords has been driving me INSANE! This will help tremendously. :-)

I use a free program that does the same thing.

http://keepass.info/

Get Evernote for your phone...priceless!

Hi all,

This is the best site for converting acreage to square feet or square feet to acreage

http://www.convertunits.com/from/acre/to/square+feet

it has a date calculator and metric system

enjoy!!

Edson

I started a running email that I forward to myself daily after updating it. Subject line reads Get these things done. It includes whatever I need to remember with all phone numbers, email adresses, appts., or whatever. Once something is completed I highlight it in red. I can highlight things in other colors to add priortize or further classification. If something is not accomplished it can be copied and pasted for the next day. I can reference the email anytime from my blackbberry. I can print the list at regular intervals for a record of where my business has taken me or who I met with.

For example,

Tuesday Jan. 3 2012

call joes exterminating 000-523-3621 for 5309 Rockingshire bill to remax send report and clear letter to ______
hoa packet
pay bills
Wala Wala for 3 bpos

rich road MSR finish (comps from recent bpo)
PAY DELMAR ROOF, SUBMIT DELMAR ROOF INVOICE
pay for newsletter for 2 1/2 adds 37.50 each
rich road lb paintcheck out rockingshire repairs
(rudeboy0@gmail.com) is contacting you about:
103 Brock St,