Thursday, 22 December 2011

Real Estate Closing Software Enhanced My Reputation

As a real estate professional, life has never been easy. A real estate transaction involves compliance with so many laws and regulations, state as well as federal and filing of forms and documents that one has to be very careful and specific about each transaction. With an increased workload and ever increasing number of clients, keeping track manually was becoming a difficult task. The only solution was to go in for real estate closing software and from the many confusing choices available from various sources I was able to zero in on one that to me seemed the right one, with the most comprehensive set of features. The way it worked for me I think a real estate professional must have been involved in its making.
The real estate software I chose does all that I had to take care of manually and these functions included:
  • Enter vital data at one point and populate all forms and documents simply at the click of a mouse. Corrections are just as simple and are reflected across all documents.
  • Preparation of HUD-1 form and HUD-1A form effortlessly in compliance with the new 2010 RESPA regulations
  • The HUD software has a facility to modify forms too according to amendments in laws or according to regulations in force in one state of the US .
  • Enable separate personnel to work on various parts of the real estate transaction and then compile all documents and forms in a central folder for review and printing
  • Submit forms online where possible
  • Email from within the software
  • Convert to Word or PDF document and print easily
  • Automatic calculation of property taxes according to State and Federal laws
  • Print out closing balance statements
  • Print Checks
  • Generate 1099-S forms
  • Summary Transaction sheet
  • Pre-closing documentation and post closing formalities
  • Compile and archive all documents post closing
  • The HUD-1 software has an efficient HUD settlement statement system, filling out all HUD forms automatically, updating databases.
  • Prepares general lender statement showing gross loan, amount disburses and deductions
  • The HUD software generates a GFE-HUD comparison sheet automatically
The real estate closing software integrates HUD software and delivers all the functions needed by property brokers and real estate lawyers as well as professionals like me. It does everything necessary; it does it fast and free of errors. Once finished, a transaction can be archived for storage and retrieval at any future date in case of audits. It can also be ported to my smartphone, enabling me to work while on the go. I complete transactions in record time and flawlessly too and am glad to say the real estate closing software enhanced my reputation no end. It did cost money but with the increased business I will easily recoup the cost and consider it more as an investment.

Tuesday, 13 December 2011

HUD Software Leverages Technologies for Real Estate Closing

In any transaction where legal compliances have to be met, there is inevitably and invariably a lot of documentation involved in the process. A real estate transaction involves compliance to many legal procedures, submission of forms and statements like the HUD-1 form for purchase or the HUD1A for refinance in accordance with the new 2010 RESPA regulations in force. These new regulations have introduced complexities in real estate transactions and the best way to keep track and comply with all requirements of law is to have real estate closing software that factors in these compliances. The latest and the best is HUD software, leveraging technologies for real estate closing paving the way for higher productivity, reduced manpower needs and increased turnovers. This HUD software or the HUD-1 software is indispensable in today's world of real estate settlement attorneys.

Comprehensively designed and integrated real estate closing software automates all repetitive tasks. One can enter data at a single point and have all the forms and documents populated with the names and figures without any errors. In the same way, corrections at one point are reflected across all forms and documents. This eases life for all those involved in property transactions, especially those who have to submit forms and comply with Federal, State and Income-tax requirements. The HUD software takes care of preparing HUD settlement statements like Form HUD-1 or HUD-1A and then preparation of IRS Forms 1099-S.

Documents pre-closing and post closing like filing of record of deeds, mortgages, liens, affidavits etc. become easy and automated when one used the appropriate HUD-1 software . Any professional engaged in real estate transactions would naturally expect the real estate closing software to be easy to use with a very easy to follow menu system. Prepare forms and documents, even file them online through the software itself and then compile them all in one folder for easy access and reference anytime in future, avoiding risks of penalties or disbarment in case of queries or audits.

Any real estate agent knows that the deal is not finished with signing of the legal documents. There are tasks like closing disbursements in accordance with IOLTA code of ethics, trust transaction accounts and filing the necessary information with the IRS in order to consider the transaction final and complete. The HUD-1 software has user-friendly features that let you manage all these post transaction activities and maintain a complete record. Besides, one can easily convert documents and forms to Word or PDF format for transmission or printing. Real estate closing software that can be ported to your smart phone helps you edit or review documents while on the move and can be a great time saver.

The utility and user-friendliness of the HUD software is further enhanced by the fact that different people can work on different parts of the transaction and then all forms or documents so prepared can be compiled into one central location for review, printing and filing. It doesn't get any better and when one looks for real estate closing software , features like this give that particular HUD-1 software an edge.

Monday, 5 December 2011

Family Law Software Selection The Smart Way

As a family law attorney I know just how smart people can be when they want to put across their side of the deal and how you can be short changed in the process. Time and again my lawyer friends had mentioned how they had benefited by a family law software and time and again quite a few had expressed how dissatisfied with the software they were and how a smart salesman had managed to slip one over them. I was not going to get caught in the same trap. I decided to be smart and study all aspects of the family law software available in the market. I was not going to be saddled with buggy software or software that did not have all the features necessary for a lawyer involved in family law cases. I made a list of all the functions I carried out in my daily practice as a family law attorney. The checklist of parameters for the ideal and most suitable family law software went like this.

Must Have Features
•  Easy menu system and user friendly family law software with a short learning curve. I did not want to go over complex manuals and spend time studying.
•  Enter data at one point and have the software fill in all necessary forms and documents with the figures and names. Make corrections at one point and have the corrections reflected across all forms and documents.
•  Family law involves complex calculations related to alimony, child support and settlements, tax implications and division of assets. I wanted the software to provide what if scenarios and output worksheets showing the implications and the best one for my client.
•  Generate all forms automatically, populating them with data entered at the central point and further customize these forms.
•  Software with customization that takes into consideration specific laws prevailing in each state and an ability to generate worksheets, documents and forms in conformance with State laws.
•  Compile all forms and documents related to a case in one folder and save in word of PDF format for easy portability and printing.
•  An ability to send email from within the program itself.
Desirable Features
Customization according to state laws: If I wished to handle a family law case in Pennsylvania it would be nice to have Pennsylvania family law software for easy generation of forms and calculations with child and spousal support in conformity with Pennsylvania Guidelines. For a law case in Arizona the Arizona family law software would need to have all features in addition to calculations and forms that follow the new State guidelines effective from June 2011. For a case in New York I would want the New York family law software to provide a New York statement of net worth, maintenance worksheet and child support worksheet form UD8 in conformance with the State laws.

Now if the family law software could have mobile portability and porting to divorce settlements, in addition to all the above, it would be just right for me, save me a lot of time and let me handle more cases. That's the way I figured it and I will be comparing software from different vendors and hitting on one that has all these in a compact, easy to use, affordable package.

Where Was This Real Estate Software All These Days

As someone whose business is to handle Real Estate deals in the US, let me tell you it can be a real pain. Back in the old days money changed hands, you shook hands, wrote on a piece of paper and that was it. Now, there are so many forms to fill in and file, paperwork to be done, records to be maintained, tax compliances, calculations and formalities before, during after a property transaction that it can take up a lot of one's time. I used to employ staff specifically for all these formalities but since I installed the real estate closing software, life has become easier, smoother, faster and of course I save money since the same staff could be put to better use, handling more cases and drumming up business. Where was the real estate software all these days I wondered.

It did take time and effort to home in on the right real estate software that could handle everything from HUD forms to closing. This HUD software does everything in a minute that took hours to do manually and what is more, it maintains records flawlessly in one place for easy access at any time in the future. This HUD-1 software has made all back office operations so smooth and effortless that I do work in a relaxed way with no pressure. It generates HUD settlement statement and the forms in a comprehensive way, including everything that needs to be included without leaving out anything important. I can review, edit and finalize all forms, considering various options.

The vendor assured me that this HUD and real estate software complies fully to the 2010 RESPA Final Rule and it truly does, including the latest HUD forms and GFE-HUD comparison sheets along with the HUD-1A settlement statement . It has smart itemization feature and consolidates all costs in respect of each transaction. It automatically has setoff tracking of the GFE charges in all statements.
Oh, and I forgot to tell you that it was very easy to learn the software in a couple of hours. It has a simple, user-friendly menu system. I can enter data at one point and then populate all the myriad forms with this data. I carry out corrections at one point and all documents are automatically updated. What a relief!
An admirable feature of this real estate closing software is that it is better than a personal assistant; it takes care of the post transaction formalities like closing forms connected to a particular transaction, disbursement ledgers and check printing facility. Without my saying so, it prepares the 1099-S filing and lien release and what is more, since electronic filing is becoming so common these days.

After doing all this it does not go to sleep. When a transaction is complete it compiles all documents into one folder and gives me the choice to save them in Word, PDF or Excel files. I save them in all three. One can't be too careful! Any audit query would be embarrassing, needless to say.