Innovation abounds in In-Hand Realty Tools, a Palm suite of four programs developed specifically for real estate agents. This powerful bundle of four applications was designed so agents could leave their laptop computers, day planners, and calculators at home, while surviving on their cell phones and Palm-top computers. The programs work effortlessly on all Palm OS devices, including the two-megabyte Palm III and basic Handspring Visor. These applications eliminate guessing about costs, payments, selling prices, closing costs, buyer proceeds, and title rates. So you'll never forget what was discussed with your buyer or seller, In-Hand Realty Tools has the capability to save as many net sheets as your handheld can hold. It also gives you the ability to name each file, and then "date stamps" them when they're saved. Your saved files will HotSync with Palm Desktop, and In-Hand Realty Tools provides multiple printing options. Using a PC, you can print seller net sheets and qualification results using your Palm Desktop and word processors. You can also print by beaming directly from your Palm-top to an IR equipped HP printer, using PrintBoy. In-Hand Realty Tools generates two signature and date blocks at the bottom of each printed form, just in case you need the husband and wife to sign.

The In-Hand Realty Tools suite includes BuyerQual, RateSheet, Net+GFE, and SellerNet.

BuyerQual

BuyerQual is completely unlike any of the other real estate calculator programs for the Palm. For starters, all of the figures are displayed on the screen at one time so when you change a number and tap the "Recalculate" button, you can see changes reflected immediately in the other related figures. Secondly, tap the "Details" button and BuyerQual calculates an accurate and complete monthly payment. Unlike other Palm calculator programs, which require you to guess property tax and homeowners insurance costs, BuyerQual automatically calculates them. Any information you enter into BuyerQual remains as a default value until you change it, even if you turn off your handheld or switch between programs.

One handy use for this program is to enter your home buyers basic financial information into BuyerQual and then as you go from house to house merely change the home price. You're able to immediately tell your buyers their exact monthly house payment, including all taxes and insurance. Plus, you can save each housing scenario and pull up all of the costs later.

RateSheet

RateSheet is one more reason to leave your day timer at home. One of the reasons many agents carry around a planner is to have a list of title insurance rates readily at hand. With RateSheet, it's on your handheld.

Net+GFE

Net+GFE is a buyer netsheet program, which does all of the work. No more guessing when a client asks how much it will cost to buy a home and no more missed items in estimating home buying costs. After entering the basic information on the home, you're guided through a list of potential costs. The first time you use the program you enter your local costs onto your Palm, which will remain as defaults until you change them. The more complex costs are automatically calculated. After you've gone through the list, tap the "Closing" button and you are shown the down payment, closing costs, and total funds to close. A great feature of Net+GFE is that you can save all of your buyer netsheets for future reference.

SellerNet

The final program in In-Hand Realty Tools is SellerNet, a seller netsheet application for the Palm. It gives the real estate agent an automatic method of estimating net seller costs and proceeds. After all costs are identified, you tap on the "Proceeds" button and are provided the selling price of the home, total costs associated with selling the home, and proceeds to the seller. You can save as many netsheets as you want on your handheld, and print them out. Just like with BuyerQual and Net+GFE, any information you enter into SellerNet remains a default value until you change it.

Conclusion: If you don't already own a handheld computer, In-Hand's feature-loaded suite is reason enough to buy one. No comparable software has been developed for the real estate market. In-Hand Realty Tools is real estate's next generation of Palm software.

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About Rolf Anderson

Rolf Anderson is an internationally known trainer on real estate and technology. A CRS Instructor, he teaches seminars to Realtors on a wide variety of topics including: "Palm-top Computing for REALTORS: A New Generation" and "Advanced Palm-top Computing for REALTORS: You Too Can Be an Obi-Palm-Kenobi."

Rolf Anderson is also an author who is frequently published in national real estate magazines and who has won "Best Article" awards. Articles on handheld technology include "Palmtop Computing for Real Estate Professionals" (Featured on pdaRE.com in December 2000) and "Palm Pilot Tips and Tricks."

Mr. Anderson publishes, "The Anderson Post ... Real Estate Technology News" a free, On-line Real Estate Technology Newsletter with more than 35,000 subscribers.

In addition to teaching, consulting, and writing on real estate technology, Rolf is a Real Estate Broker at the family-owned "The Anderson Agency" in Forest City, Iowa.

You can reach him at The Anderson Agency, P.O. Box 246, Forest City, IA 50436-0246

Tel: 641.585.3401

FAX: 641.585.3167

email: rolf@rolfanderson.com