ProAPOD real estate investing software 6.0 and 7.0 plus ProAPOD real estate investor software 4.0 has been updated. If you are currently using ProAPOD 4.0, ProAPOD 6.0, or ProAPOD 7.0 a free software update is available for you to download.

How To Install The Software Update

1. Go to the ProAPOD website at http://www.proapod.com and click the Login tab.
2. Login with your email address and password.
3. This will automatically take you to your Customer Solutions Homepage
4. Click the “Update:” download link and follow the online instructions.

Please Read About Software Updates

1. Original install downloads must be completed before the update links appear. If you have not installed both downloads, and one install still exists, the updates will not appear. This is okay and will not negate the update. Once you install the second program, simply log back in to obtain the updates.
2. Renew membership subscription means your free updates have expired. In this case, if you wish to install the update and obtain free updates for one additional year, please click the link and follow the online instructions.
3. Do not attempt to install the update on any computer where the original program is not installed. You will receive an unkind message informing you that you are not allowed to obtain the update.
4. Only the main program is updated. Files created and saved previously with the original edition are not be updated. In most cases this is perfectly acceptable. If you decide that you want the file in the new format simply open the updated program, re-enter the property information, and re-save it.
5. Report problems immediately. Although every effort is made to maintain the integrity of the program, it is not unusual to make changes of this magnitude and miss something. If reported, the update is generally fixed and reissued within a day. If this occurs, open any file previously created and saved with the original edition and use it until the update is reissued.

Thank you for choosing ProAPOD Real Estate Software.

ProAPOD is getting asked more frequently about whether our real estate investing software solutions are Microsoft Vista and Excel 2007 compatible.

This undoubtedly is due to the fact that a new computer cannot be purchased anywhere other than online that isn’t preloaded with Microsoft’s newest Windows platform, Vista. Presumably, many are also using the opportunity to upgrade to Office 2007 at the same time.

I would caution you, however, to at least research before you purchase either software program; here’s why.

MS Vista

My concern about Vista began when my local MLS advised members that their software was not compatible with Vista.

Further research uncovered a host of online reports from others (not as kind as WVMLS) who absolutely cursed MS Vista. Complaints ranged from Vista being a memory hog, to, more importantly, being out of step with a myriad of software developers.

Adobe and Hewlett-Packard, for example, do not plan to have Vista-compatible software until sometime this year. Worse still, neither Adobe nor Hewlett-Packard is planning on updating their previously-issued software.

In other words, if you purchase Vista and currently use Adobe software or a Hewlett-Packard printer, you will probably have to purchase new software along with a new printer.

My recommendation is to visit the websites of all your software and hardware manufacturers to investigate what plans they are making for Vista.

As for ProAPOD, because our real estate investment software is an application for Excel, it should be compatible with Vista, though not with certainty. Hopefully ProAPOD users who are running Vista will report back.

MS Excel 2007

After one user informed me that ProAPOD’s Print Preview freezes the screen in Excel 2007, I did download a 60-day trial from Microsoft (at his suggestion) and have run some tests. I do believe I can resolve the issue and seemingly there appear to be no other issues; but as they say; only time will tell.

That said, however, I must tell you that I personally would not buy Excel 2007.

I found the reconstructed toolbar (now called a “ribbon”) confusing, and frankly needlessly over programmed. Discovering how to perform even simple tasks like Save was tedious, all for the sake of, New?

Of course a learning curve is anticipated with any new software program and it is reasonable to expect ease with usage; but I didn’t see anything in this bulk of tabs and drop-down menus that makes Excel 2007 better than its predecessors. On the contrary, not only did it all seem unnecessary, it made Excel 2007 more cumbersome to search and peck for commands and objects previous Excel versions made easy in streamline fashion.

Yes, I am impressed with the tenacity of the programmers who devoted at least three entire years of their lives to the Excel 2007 project; no, I not impressed with the result.

Is It Fact or Fiction?

Is MS Vista or Excel 2007 as awful as reported? If you’re computer savvy and like living life on the cutting edge of technology, maybe the argument against Microsoft’s newest software is exaggerated. If you’re less inclined, and prefer not to wrestle with software just for the sake of new, maybe the argument is valid.

Can You Buy a New Computer Without Vista?

Yes, you can still purchase a new computer with Microsoft XP, but you will have to locate and purchase it online. I found my brand new HP lap top with MSXP from an HP sales representative in California. Start an online search for “new computer with XP” and go from there.

Can You Buy a Computer With Vista and Load XP?

From what I read—it is not a good idea. There are countless stories on the web from those who switched out Vista for XP only to regret it.

One poor soul, for example, tells of buying a new computer and uninstalling Vista only later to discover that even the newly installed XP didn’t work correctly as a result. In the end, because the original Vista software had been removed, the computer’s warranty became null and void and the user was stuck with a brand new computer that didn’t work.

Conclusion

ProAPOD real estate software does not have a dog in this race. We applaud technology and respect efforts made by software manufactures to improve their products.

In this case, however, because we are wary, we will make the following two suggestions: hold back on Vista for one more year; download Excel 2007 for free at msdn.com and try it before you buy it.

Real estate investing calculations are made on investment properties for the purpose of determining a property’s cash flow, rate of return, and profitability. Somewhat like a mathematical “tire kicking” of real estate investment property.

When a real estate investor or other real estate professional is evaluating an income producing property, or perhaps comparing several real estate investing opportunities, real estate investing calculations, computed by formula, are made to create financial measures, returns, and ratios that provide real estate investors a snap shot of property performance.

Real estate investing calculations cover a broad spectrum, with some requiring little more than a simple math calculation anyone with a pad and pencil can compute over burger and fries, and others, like those involving time value of money, which require a financial calculator or sophisticated real estate investing software.

Here are just fifteen real estate investing calculations often made and considered during real estate investment property evaluation:

1. Gross Rent Multiplier (GRM)
2. Vacancy & Credit Loss
3. Net Operating Income (NOI)
4. Capitalization Rate
5. Annual Debt Service (ADS)
6. Cash Flow Before Tax (CFBT)
7. Cash on Cash return (C-o-C)
8. Loan to Value (LTV)
9. Debt Coverage Ratio (DCR)
10. Break-Even Ratio (BER)
11. Debt Coverage Ratio (DCR)
12. Cash Flow After Tax (CFAT)
13. Return on Equity (ROE)
14. Net Present Value (NPV)
15. Internal Rate of Return (IRR)

ProAPOD Real Estate Investment Software computes these real estate investing calculations and more automatically. ProAPOD Real Estate Investor Software also makes these real estate investing calculations automatically, plus includes a Learning Center feature where you can learn the formulas for these real estate investing calculations directly on the easy-to-use forms.