What tools do you use to make your job easier?

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Permalink Reply by Richard Canifax on January 15, 2010 at 9:07pm

CutePDF is excellent little piece of software. It installs as a 'printer'. So when I want to create a PDF from ANY application (Word, Excel, anything...) you just select 'print' and in the list of printers will be CutePDF, select it and it will ask you to name the PDF file you want to create. Cool, fast, simple.

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Permalink Reply by Sean Wilder on February 14, 2010 at 4:53pm

I manage all of my short sales using ManageMyShortSale It's an awesome tool to manage your follow ups and create your HUD-1's. It also has a large database of lender short sale packages and contacts along with a forum like this. You can sign up for a 30 days free trial of it too.

I use SugarSync for all of my file backups. It backups any files I change or add to the folders I sync as soon as I change or add them. Plus it syncs my docs across mulitple computers and I have access to them on the web and even through my iPhone. You can even get a free account for up to 2GB of storage.

I use Metrofax for all my faxes. Cost me about $12 a month for 1000 pages in or out.

I use the full version of Adobe Acrobate Pro for all my docs and packages. Though I am in collaboration with the developers of ManageMyShortSale to develop a short sale package builder that should be intigrated with the system in the next couple weeks.

I also use Google Voice for all my outbound toll calls when calling lenders. Whenever I have a number that is not toll free, I use my Google Voice number to call out on. I don't use my Cell so I don't rack up my minutes and I don't have an unlimited plan on my business phone. But Google Voice is free, so I use it to make those outbound calls when I need to.

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Permalink Reply by Nick Reuter on March 4, 2010 at 2:55pm

A bit of disclaimer; I own Short Sale Artisan, we are currently developing our full-blown package generator in the system as well. Right now you can upload all your docs to the system, including ones generated by the system (HUD, offer letter, P&S, etc.) but in the next few weeks we are adding in the ability to "package" them up into a single document, watermark all pages with the loan number, and then e-mail / fax directly from the system, and then keep everything up in the "cloud" so that they are available at any point in time.

If you are interested in learning more or being notified when the feature comes out, it will be posted on our blog and sent out in a newsletter that can be subscribed to on our blog home page (http://www.shortsaleartisan.com/blog)

Best of luck everyone!

BTW: @ Sean Google Voice is an awesome tool as well, very flexible, and can integrate with your cell providers F&F plan, so if you are running short sales and are on hold a lot (not you, right?!!) then it's worth checking out! (unfortunately still needs an invite)

Nick Reuter

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Permalink Reply by Paola Lopez De Armentia on June 13, 2010 at 7:18pm

1.For those of you who use Metrofax? is it reliable and can it do fax by email?
2. I use pfd fill and pdf sam and do pfd. PDF fill to edi pdf, pdf sam o merge PDF and do PDF to print to PDF these can be downloaded for free at www.pdfsam.org and at download.com and PDF fill can be purchased for 19.99.
3.I use Sureclose for one of my clients (investor) its agreat program but not the best, and its expensive. Over all I dont recommend Sureclose.
4. I use Vonage and Skype for calls. I like Vonage's service that emails the voicemail in .WAV and it transcribes the message. Also with skype I copy and paste loan numbers, phone numbers, etc and its faster.

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Permalink Reply by Paola Lopez De Armentia on June 15, 2010 at 9:26am

Would someone be able to send me a Google Voice invitation?

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Permalink Reply by joe beauchamp on July 17, 2010 at 2:15pm

I've had them replace my magicjack - OK, the rep screwed some things up, but they finally straightened it out - I don't know if it is a warrantee thing or they just want you to keep using them so they'll send you a good one. Don't know. Thought I'd mention it. (I use mj for marketing and to get voicemail from marketing - good price, don't need to mess with the hardware - I don't like messing with their hardware - putting junk in the middle of the screen, etc.) I like using voipo for my personal phone, fax and SIP stuff.

Richard Canifax said:

Magicjack... I tried several times last year and "occasionally" it would go through. I use RingCentral now with an auto-feed scanner to fax out. Ring Central is excellent.

My Magicjack has died on me for the last time. I used it for about 1 year (or tried to). Many issues with it sometimes not being recognized, sometimes a 'broken' message displayed, etc. They have a 'upgrade.exe' on their website and when used with a few registry hacks I was able to get it working a few times. But now is dead for good.

Rosemary Brooks said:

Can you fax from MajicJack? I could not figure it out.

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Permalink Reply by joe beauchamp on July 17, 2010 at 2:19pm

I used to have vonage for years and myfax - I switched to voipo for both - extremely cost effective. Supposedly "residential" but also "small business". Fax? All you can get for $4.95/mo - $3/mo if you buy per year. Voice? I signed up for the year at $8.50/mo - total. Been playing with SIP because I don't like the digital phones at the office on packet8 and prefer to use SIP via a laptop and headset (which I can't get for the packet8 phone).

Paola Lopez De Armentia said:

1.For those of you who use Metrofax? is it reliable and can it do fax by email?
2. I use pfd fill and pdf sam and do pfd. PDF fill to edi pdf, pdf sam o merge PDF and do PDF to print to PDF these can be downloaded for free at www.pdfsam.org and at download.com and PDF fill can be purchased for 19.99.
3.I use Sureclose for one of my clients (investor) its agreat program but not the best, and its expensive. Over all I dont recommend Sureclose.
4. I use Vonage and Skype for calls. I like Vonage's service that emails the voicemail in .WAV and it transcribes the message. Also with skype I copy and paste loan numbers, phone numbers, etc and its faster.

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Permalink Reply by joe beauchamp on July 17, 2010 at 2:21pm

In case you do not know, you don't need an invite anymore.. I have a verizon motorola droid - well integrated, haven't found all the things I can to with google voice. Looking at other integrations - google calendar..

Paola Lopez De Armentia said:

Would someone be able to send me a Google Voice invitation?

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Permalink Reply by Sharon Horne-Ellstrom on August 2, 2010 at 1:59pm

I, like Sean, use Proptrackr (Manage My Short Sale was its former name). Like all systems out of our control (see Open Road 3 comments) it has some shortcomings. I still keep hard copies and notes of everything (because at times I have not been able to access the system, when I needed to). Again, this is true of all technology, so I don't want anyone to get the wrong impression. I love Proptrackr! The guys who designed it are the best in the short sale industry -- hands down!

I am going to check out some of the paperless strategies, since I am looking at moving offices (in part because we have too much "stuff").

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions.

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Permalink Reply by Ruben Ortega, CDRS, SFR, HRC on August 15, 2010 at 11:26am

I find Dropbox to be a useful tool for my short sale files. Dropbox is software that syncs your files online and across your computers. Try it you'll like it.

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