Morning all, I'll be starting my courses the end of January. I've decided on The Rockwell Institue out of Bellevue, WA due to their course schedule being quite accomodating to my existing work schedule. I'll be wrapping my preliminary courses up mid-March. I'm somewhat anal as far as feeling the need to be totally prepared from day 1. I'm hoping to find suggestions for what I will need. I'm being directed to the HP12c calculator. Is this a good recommendation or are there other choices you'ld recommend? I also am able to pick up a laptop if needed. Right now, I'm afraid any Wintotal or Apex software will have to wait. Any suggestions as to whether it's a definate must-have at this point or can I slide on that for a few months,until I complete the course? Of course there are a multitude of 'suggested readings and texts' to choose from but I'm a bit cynical about picking up something that is merely 'suggested' or texts that would be recommended by others. Starting tomorrow, I hit the pavement w/my new & improved resume' in search of a Mentor. Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge. This is a decision I've taken five years to make. The time is right and all systems pont to 'Go'.

Welcome and Greetings Movingup...I like your username :tee: A laptop will be very helpful to you, but please note Windows Vista is comming out at the end of the month so don't buy anything just yet!

The HP HP12C Financial Calculator is a good choice. If you bought yourself a financial calculator during the 1980s, chances are it was this bad boy. Nothing has changed since its introduction--it still uses Reverse Polish Notation (RPN), is easy and versatile in programming, and has a thin, sturdy casing. Certainly, there's been newer, fancier calculators introduced since, but there's something to be said for the quality of classics.

The HP 12C's functions include all the basics--such as calculating APR, NPV, and IRR--and statistics are a snap. For students new to financial calculators, this is an excellent place to start. For the most part, the manual reads like a minitextbook, walking you through sample problems and situations followed by graphs and tables demonstrating the technique--and you can even check your results. The section on creating programs does seem to be written for the technically ignorant, addressing in detail how you could possibly benefit from using programs, but it'll still help you get the job done.

In general, it's a bit slower than newer models, just like last year's computer isn't as speedy as today's new release. On the plus side, it's just 3 by 5 inches and slips easily into a pocket. The bottom is printed with a few little cheat notes for common functions, which is nice for quick reference. The HP 12C's one-year warranty and available tech-support line offer reassurance this little workhorse will continue to be an industry standard for years to come. --Jill Lightner

Pros:

Pocket size
Thorough and simple instruction manual
Competitive priceCons:

Calculates more slowly than modern machinesHere is what amazon user has said about it. Calculators may seem a bit "dated" in this age of Palm Pilots and PC's, but when you have to do a lot of calculations and you don't have a spreadsheet on a laptop handy, a good calculator is invaluable. If you calculate mortgages, compound interest, amortization or any of the common functions in finance on a regular basis, you can't go wrong with this classic calculator, long a standard of the industry. The 120 built-in functions are easy to use and well explained by the manual. Don't see a function you need? You can enter your own mathematical function, too.


If you DON'T do financial calculations regularly, but are in school for anything but science, this is also a great choice. You can even learn a lot about financial calculations just from the manual. (For science students and scientists, HP makes a scientific version calculator with statistical functions instead of financial ones.)

If you are a regular person looking for a calculator, I REALLY recommend this one--we all borrow money (car loans, house mortgages) now and then. And RPN, Reverse Polish Notation is SO logical and easy to use once you practice. (Simply put, to add two plus two = four, you enter 2 +, 2+ = and the answer is there. VERY fast for long calculations, like balancing a checkbook.)
I find that the horizontal design (wider than long) is extremely comfortable to hold. And the 12C is very rugged. I used to know a guy from HP who was a rep for the calculator division. He'd demo them by slamming the HP12C against the wall, and then daring the rep from the Big Lone Star State Instruments firm to do the same with theirs. No contest.

A laptop will be very helpful to you, but please note Windows Vista is comming out at the end of the month so don't buy anything just yet!


Be careful about VISTA.....everytime MS releases there are always big problems.....Also, some of the APPRAISAL SOFTWARE will not run on VISTA..check the Web Sites for the software......and some of the MLS and data sources even have a problem runnung on IE 7.....By the way, most of the software programs have a FREE trial period....However, the software should wait until you know what your mentor is using as you will need that program..

Movinup,

Your new move sounds exciting! As far as what kind of software to go with i think it is important to shop around before you buy anything. Take advantage of the many free trials offered by many companies. You can get a great feel for how a forms package or sketch tool works in little time. Remember that the biggest most expensive tool is not always the best.

Of course i'm going to encourage you to check out RapidSketch for your sketch tool, but make sure you check out your other options as well (Apex, Areasketch.) Base your decision on how easy they are to use, price (one time or annual fee), compatibility with your OS as well as forms package, and how the company treats you when you call.



Good Luck!

Eric Braun

RapidSketch
888 884 5268 x 106

I agree that a laptop is very useful.

I bought my laptop just before Windows Vista came out for use, or went on the shelf and sold with the computers.

However, a good lap top, when I bought mine (December 31, 2006) will be designed for windows XP because windows does always encounter some technical problems at first when a new OS is introduced, BUT, a good lap top purchased before the release of VISTA, will also be Windows Vista capable when the time comes to use Vista.

I think Windows Vista will eventually become very efficient.

I would suggest a lap top that has a mobile processor with an excellent, built in, wireless-adaptor, if mobile internet service is not feasible.

Example: I was at the courthouse looking for land sales and residential sales. I HAD to get online to access the MLX/MLS to make our research easier and less time consuming. Well, luck had it, because I switched my wirless adaptor on and the courthouse had a pretty good wirless router hanging around some where :cool:

We were able to collect sales, pull the deeds, get taxes for further analysis in choosing comparable sales. We happened to be stressed for time that day and, we ended up getting much more done, than being at the office, printing out MLX/MLS sheets. I set my lap top on the counter and we looked at the screen while pulling deeds; pulling up corel word perfect, and making notes at the same time. SO, buying a lap top that is completely loaded with mobile technology has huge advantages; more ways than one, in just one example, as I mentioned.

The HP financial calculator is also a very good tool for anyone dealing with numbers. I recently bought the new 25th Anniversary Edition, which is updated from the HP's sold in the 80's and 90's. Appraisal is more about numbers, though; it's economics :cool:

A cell Phone is, of course, a life saver.

I definitely recommend carrying USPAP with you at all times, as suggested reading. Appraisal Institute's website has a very good library of Appraisal texts, but there are also other Appraisal organizations that have an equally better or, EVEN better books, that are published and sold on their websites.

My personal suggestion for reading: "The Origin of Wealth" ...Evolution, Complexity, and the Radical Remaking of Economics. This book is written by Eric D. Beinhocker and published through the Harvard Business School Press.

Wintotal or other software, maybe, will be handed to you through a mentor or Supervisor :D Excel spread sheets are always cool!

Basics: measuring tape in tenths (Home Depot or Lowes). A digital camera and clip board.

Sincerely and good luck,
Benji

You can actually get the fully functional WinTotal for free...you just can't print the reports without it saying Demo on it. I wouldn't suggest investing in the software until you start working in the industry but I would suggest getting the Demo copy so you can learn to use it. If you can get your hands on some finished appraisals I would suggest starting to input the reports...it will help you understand the appraisals better.

Hope that helped.