Real estate appraisers crunch a lot of numbers including analyzing market trends. It can be difficult to create good looking trend graphs if you have a large data set. That is where Google Docs can help.

Google Docs now supports pivot tables. Pivot tables allow you easily look at large sets of data from different angles with just a few clicks of the mouse.

A pivot table report is a dynamic table that lets you interpret data in different ways without ever having to enter a formula. Pivot table reports are particularly useful when you want to narrow down a large data set or analyze relationships between data points. In just a few clicks, you can summarize and analyze a large set of data through different categorizations and calculations. via Google Docs Help

Click HERE if you can not see the embedded video above.

Getting Started With Pivot Tables

Step 1. Go to Docs.Google.com and start a new spreadsheet. Google Docs is free to use and you will need to have a Google username and password.

Select “Create New” then select “Spreadsheet”.

Step 2. Import your data.

You will need sales data to use in the pivot table. Most Multiple Listing Services allow real estate agents and appraisers to download sales data. Google Docs supports multiple files types including xls., csv., and txt. files. To import a file, select “File” then select “Import”.

Step 3. Create the pivot table.

Select all of the data by clicking the cell in the top left corner.

Then in the menu bar, select “Data” then “Pivot table report”.

A new spreadsheet will open with a blank pivot table.

Step 4. Set the rows and columns to analyze.

The report editor is on the right hand side. You can select what data you want for your rows and columns. Then select the information that you want in the pivot table as values.

That is it! Once your pivot table is populated, you can select the data and easily create a chart. You can also easily select new data to analyze in the pivot table.

Google Docs Pivot Table Example

Lets say you want to look at the average sales prices by city over the past 3 years. Note, your data might have different labels depending on your local MLS or data source.

Select City for the rows.

Select Year for the columns.

Select Sold Price for the values. You will want to summarize the data by Average. As of right now you can not summarize the data by the median function.

Then select the data in the Pivot Table.

Select “Insert Chart” to create a chart.

Here is the chart for the Average Sales Prices in 5 cities in Middle Georgia over the past 3 years.

The best part about Pivot tables is that you can easily drill down even further into the data.

For example, if you want to analyze sales price trends over the past 3 years by month AND year all you have to do is add Month to the column data.

Here is the chart for the Average Sales Prices in 5 cities in Middle Georgia over the past 3 years by Month.

The Bottom Line

Pivot tables are a great way to easily slice and dice data allowing you to look at data any way you want. You can analyze the number of sales by month, the number of sales by type (Bank Owned, Short Sale, etc.), average sales prices by zip code and easily create great looking charts. The only limit is your data.

Send me an email or comment below if you use Pivot tables to crunch your real estate data.

Check out Google Docs Help for more help with creating and editing pivot tables.

Vidiolicious is a free iPhone and iPad app that helps anyone create great looking videos in three easy steps.

The app works by letting the user select photos from their iPhone, record a short video (up to 50 seconds long), and add music. Videolicious automatically puts it all together and creates a video that can be shared via YouTube, Facebook, and email.

Based on patent-pending technology used by some of the world’s largest brands, Videolicious is revolutionizing how video is created.
via Videolicious

Click HERE if you can not see the video above.

How to create a video with Videolicious

Step 1. Select photos for videos from your iPhone’s camera roll. Select photos in the order they need to appear in the video.

Step 2. Shoot a short video of yourself. The video can be up to 50 seconds long.

Step 3. Pick some music to make your video rock. The app comes with 6 tracks you can use or you can select music that is already on your iPhone or iPad.

That is it! Videolicious will automatically edit and layer the clips and photos to create a video.

You can email your video or share it with Facebook or YouTube.

How the real estate industry use Videolicious

Real estate appraisers can tell a little about their company and services they provide and use photos of homes they have appraised. Videolisious will put it all together into a professional looking video.

Real Estate agents can use the app to make video tours of homes they have listed for sale. They can give a tour of the house and show photos of each area of the house.

Real estate professionals can make short videos about local restaurants or attractions.

Bottom Line

The app has several downsides. You can not use a video that has previously been recorded on your iPhone. For example, if you create a video and decide you want to include different photos, not only do you have to select new photos you also have to record a new video. You also don’t have the option to set how long the photos appear in the video.

However, the app is really easy to use and does a great job of combining the video and photos into a professional looking video. It is well worth trying out if you need to make good looking videos quickly and easily.

The app is compatible with the iPhone 4, iPod touch (4th generation), or iPad 2.

Cost: Free

Download and try the Vidiolicious app for yourself, iTunes Link.

Photosynth is an amazing tool that lets you transform your photos into one big interactive 3D world that you can virtually explore. Click the link above to view an example of an interactive image created with the Photosynth iPhone app.

Photosynth for the iPhone is a free panorama photography app. Take a bunch of photos of the same scene, in any direction, and the app will automatically stitch them together creating a panoramic photo.

You can share your photos on Facebook, publish on Bing Maps, or upload to Photosynth.net.

Hands On With The Photosynth iPhone App

Click HERE if you can not see video above.

How to create a panoramic photo with Photosynth

Step 1. Download the app.

The app is free in the app store. iTunes Link.

Step 2. Tap the screen to start taking photos.

Step 3. Start to take photos.

The app features an interactive capture system that lets you see your progress during capture.  You can see what photos you have taken and the outline of what will be photographed next.

The app will automatically take photos if you line up the green dot in the center of the screen with the edge of a photo that has already been taken. You can also tap the screen to manually take another photo. You can take photos in any direction to create a full 360-degree image.

Step 4. Press finish.

When you are done taking photos, press Finish and the app will begin to stitch the images together.

Step 5. Share you photo.

You can view the photo on your iPhone, share on Facebook, publish on Bing Maps, or upload to Photosynth.net.

If you upload the image to Photosynth.net you can edit its properties before you upload. You can set a thumbnail, add a name, and link to a business.

The flattened image is also saved to your iPhone’s camera roll.

How to embed an Photosynth image on your blog

Once you create a 360-degree image, you can embed that image on your blog or website.

Step 1. Log into Windows Live or create an account if you don’t already have one.

You can create one here: Windows Live. You can also create one within the app.

Step 2. Select Upload to Photosynth.net.

Step 3. Go to http://photosynth.net/ on your desktop and log in.

Select My Photosynths from the top menu.

Step 4. Select the image you want to embed.

Click on Embed in the bottom right corner.

Step 5. Copy the code an paste it in your blog or website.

If you run WordPress, make sure you are in HTML mode and not visual mode when pasting the code.

That is it!

Below is another example of an image I created with the Photosynth app. Click the image to view it and use your mouse to scroll around in any direction.

How can the real estate industry use Photosynth?

• Create an image for a house that you have listed for sale and embed it in a blog. The image is interactive so the view can rotate it in any direction.
• Create an image for a subdivision. Show your expertise in a local area by showing what a subdivision looks like, its entrance, the homes, and any common areas like a clubhouse or playground.
• Create an image and instantly share it on Facebook.
• Embed your images on Bing Maps so anyone searching Bing will find your photos.
• Photosynth would be a great way to show that a house has a spectacular view or a custom feature.

Bottom Line

The app is a great way to create 3-dimensional photos. I took me about two minutes to create a panoramic image. The app is fun to use and is going to be very useful for any real estate professional.

The best thing about the app is that you don’t need any special equipment to create an image. You can create an image, upload it to Photosynth.net or Facebook in just a few minutes.

There is also a free Photosynth viewer app for the iPhone called iSynth. The app brings the funcationality of Photosynth.net to the iPhone. You can use it to view the images you created and explore the images created by other users. iTunes link.

Check out Photosynth.net and see the cool interactive images that have been created. You can also download the free Photosynth app in the app store. iTunes Link.

GasBuddy.com helps you find the cheapest gas no matter where you area. Use their website or their free smartphone app.

With gas prices on the rise (see the above chart), finding the cheapest gas is a good way to save money.

Hands On With GasBuddy iPhone App

Click HERE if you can not see the video above.

When you launch the iPhone app you can find the cheapest gas by entering an address or by pressing the “Find Gas Near Me” button. The app will use your phone’s GPS to find the closets gas stations if you use the “Find Gas Near Me”.

GasBuddy will list the closest gas stations and their gas prices.  You can view Regular, Midgrade, Premium, and Diesel gas prices.  You can also sort the list by distance or price.

One of the best features of the app is the mapping feature.  GasBuddy not only shows all of the local gas station on a map but also the gas prices.  This is a great way to not only find the cheapest gas but the most convenient gas station to you.

Other featurs of Gasbuddy.com

1. Compare gas prices for up to 3 locations.

Just select up to 3 locations and a time period and GasBuddy will create a trend chart for you.

You can also use their website helps you track gas and crude oil prices.

2. View Gas Price Heat Maps

3. Fuel Log Book

Track your fuel efficiency and gas usage.

4. Report gas prices on the web or mobile app to earn points and win prizes.

You can sign up for a free account and earn points when you report local gas prices.  They give away a prize every week.

GasBuddy has a free app available for the iPhone, Android, and Windows phones.

Bottom Line

Real Estate Professionals are constantly on the road and with gas prices on the rise, finding the cheapest gas is a good way to save money.

Do you try to find the cheapest gas when you fill up?

Google Cloud Print is now available for Android and iPhones.

Google Cloud Print is a service that allows you to print from any app on any device, OS or browser without the need to install drivers.

Let’s say you are out of the office but need to print a real estate document.  No problem, you can print it from your smartphone and have it waiting for you when you get back to your office.

Until now, it has only been available for Chrome Operating System users.  Not anymore.  Now iPhone and Android users can print their Gmail and attachments from their mobile device!

Hands on with Google Cloud Print on the iPhone

Click HERE if you not see the video above.

Setting up Cloud Print only takes a few minutes.  Read our Guide To Google Cloud Print for instructions on how to enable cloud print.  You will be able to print from your Android or iPhone once you have it set up.

To print from your smartphone, open your Gmail in a browser.  Click on an email and select “Print” from the dropdown menu.

Select a printer from the list of printers and press “Print”.

A new print job will be created and your document will print out.

I tested Cloud Print with a Wi-Fi and 3G connection and both worked!  This means you can print to any of your printers from your smartphone without the need to be connected to your home or office network.

Why do I need Google Cloud Print?

Google Cloud Print takes the printers that you have installed on your computer and shares them with your Google Account.  Now you can print to your printer no matter where you are or what computer you are using as long as you are signed into your Google Account.

Our goal is to build a printing experience that enables any app (web, desktop, or mobile) on any device to print to any printer anywhere in the world. via Google

Google Cloud Print works on Android and iPhones and you can be they will be expanding this to other platforms in the near future.

Be sure to read our Guide To Google Cloud Print if you need help setting it up. You can also check out http://google.com/cloudprint for more information.

Will you be using Google Cloud Print?

Ten One Design has created a stylus for the iPhone and iPad.  The stylus is made of a light weight aluminum and has a soft tip that tricks the iPhone into thinking you are using your finger.

The stylus has a pocket clip and lanyard hole so it’s easy to carry with you and is about the size of a pen so it is comfortable in your hand.

The soft tip glides easily over the surface of your trackpad, phone, or iPad display, making it fun and easy to sketch, take notes, or just slide to unlock. Sized for comfort, it does away with inaccuracies common to fingertip-only use. via TenOneDesign

Hands on with the Pogo Stylus for the iPhone

Click HERE If you can not see the video above.

Why would you want to use a stylus when you could just use your finger?

You can use your iPhone while wearing gloves. If you wear gloves in the winter, you know that in order to use your iPhone you have to take your gloves off.  Using the Pogo Stylus allows you to keep your hands warm while using your iPhone.

The stylus is more accurate than your finger.  There numerous apps that the stylus works well with.  Anything from a photo editing app to games like Fruit Ninja where you need more control.

There are also apps that real estate professionals might use the stylus with.   One such app is DaVinci for iPhone.  DaVinci for the iPhone lets real estate appraisers sketch homes and collect data on their iPhone while at a real estate appraisal.

Will the stylus scratch my iPhone screen?

The tip is made from some kind of soft material that kind of looks like a sponge.  Apparently is conducts electrical current like your finger and that is how it tricks your iPhone into thinking it is your finger.

I tested the stylus with several apps including, DaVinci for the iPhone and Fruit Ninja.  The style works great with a sketching app like Davinci.

Some games like Fruit Ninja are easier to play.  My finger gets in the way and I can’t always view my iPhone screen.  The stylus is skinny enough not to block my view and gives me more control over how I swipe the screen.

The Stylus costs $14.95.  You can order from Ten One Design or pick it up in an Apple store.

There are several other Stylus Pens available for iPhones.  I found several ranging in price from $3.00 to $15.00.

Still not sure if you will use a stylus with you iPhone or iPad?  Why not make your own?

DIY iPhone Stylus

All you need to make your own iPhone stylus is a #2 pencil and a small piece of tinfoil.

Wrap the eraser end of the pencil with tinfoil and your stylus is ready to use.  You can tape the tinfoil to pencil if you need to.  It is not the prettiest stylus but it works!

The Bottom Line

The Stylus will take a little getting use to.  I found that I had to press down on the phone screen a little harder.  But because it’s is narrower than most fingers, it is easy to see exactly where you are tapping.  And if you need to use your iPhone or iPad while wearing gloves, the Pogo Stylus is a good choice.

Have you ever needed to email a document, create a PDF, or create a multiple page document but don’t have a scanner nearby?  Genius Scan allows you to do all of this with your iPhone camera and the best part is that the app is FREE!

Genius Scan turns your iPhone into a pocket scanner. Fast and streamlined, Genius Scan enables you to quickly scan documents on-the-go, send the scans by email or whole documents as PDF. Unlike other scanner applications, Genius Scan is lightning fast and user input is kept to a minimum. via iTunes

Click HERE if you can not see the video above.

Genius Scan uses your iPhone camera to capture an image.  You are able to align and crop the image from within the app.  Genius Scan processes the image and then you can save it to your iPhone or email it.

How to scan a document with Genius Scan

Step 1 When you launch the app, you have the option to take a new photo or use one from your phone’s camera roll.

Step 2. The app will use the selected image and analyse it to determine the document’s edges.  You also have the option to manually select the edges by dragging the orange box to the desired location.

Step 3. Press “Select” and Genius Scan will process the image.  The app works amazingly well and most text becomes instantly legible.  You can save the image to your camera roll or email it.

Here is the final product! Click the image to view the full size.

How to create a multiple page document with Genius Scan

Step 1 Open a document that you have already created and press the “+” button on the bottom left corner.

Step 2 Take a new photo or use one from your camera roll.  Process the image and then save it to the “Current Document”.

That is it! You now have a two page PDF file that you can email or save to your phone.  You can continue to add pages if you need to.

Take photos at angles

You don’t have to take straight photos.  Genius scan has a perspective correction tool that will crop and rotate the image properly.

The image below was created using a photo that was taken at an angle.  Genius Scan does a really good job of processing and straightening the image.

What about Security?

You do not have to worry about security because the document is processed on the phone, not through a third-party server.

Documents are processed on the phone, not sent to a third-party server.  Via GeniusScan.

Genius Scan is free but there is also a pro version.  Genius Scan+ is $2.99 in the app store and allows you to export your documents to Dropbox, Evernote, and Google Docs.

Check out the developer’s website if you have any more questions about the app.

There are several other apps to scan documents with your iPhone.

Bill Cobb, an appraiser in Baton Rouge, uses CamScanner Free to scan documents with his iPhone.  CamScanner Free allows you to upload files to online storage such as Google Docs, Evernote, Dropbox, MobileMe iDisk, and Box.net.

Here is a document of a plat map Bill made with CamScanner.

JotNot has a free and a $0.99 app that creates documents from photos.  REbliss previous reviewed the app here: Scan Doments With Your iPhone With JotNot

There are numerous ways to use an app like Genius Scan:

• Documenting receipts.
• Taking photos of business cards.
• Taking photos of plat maps or plans and specs for new construction homes.
• Taking photos of a list of home improvements that were made by a homeowner.
• Creating a copy of a document when you don’t have a copy machine.
• Taking a photo of the HOA yearly budget to include in an appraisal.
• Create a PDF file of a counter offer the buyers made.

Don’t worry Android users, there are several free scanning apps for you too.

• Droid Scan Lite
• Scan2PDF Mobile Lite
• eScrap Free
• CamSanner Phone to Scanner

There are also numerous paid apps for Android phones as well.

How would you use one of these apps?

Big thanks to Bill Cobb for sending me the tip about the CamScanner iPhone app!

Have you ever needed to take the web page your are viewing on your desktop with you on your smartphone?  Maybe you would rather search on your full-size laptop keyboard but still need the data on your phone?  Site to Phone can help you.

Site to Phone can instantly send links, text, images, and more to your phone from your desktop browser.

Site to Phone works with any browser (Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Internet Explorer, and Safari) and any smartphone (all iPhones, all Android phones, all Web OS phones, Blackberry phones running version 6+, and all Windows 7 phones).

Click HERE if you can not view the video above.

How To install Site to Phone in Google Chrome

1. Install the Site to Phone Chrome extension

Go to the Site to Phone extension page and click install.

2. Confirm that you want to install the extension.

3. Create an account

Click on the extension icon in Chrome and select “Create Account”.

You will be taken to the SitetoPhone website when you click on “create an account”.  An account ID will automatically be created for you.

4. Visit the given web address on your smartphone.

The instructions will tell you to visit a given website that includes your account number.  Create a bookmark of the web address on your iPhone by pressing the “+’” button.  You can add this bookmark to your home screen for quick access.

Press “Complete Setup” once you bookmark the web address.

That is it!

How to use Site to Phone With Your iPhone

All you have to do to send a web page to your smartphone is click the Site to Phone icon in Google Chrome.

The page is instantly sent your phone.  Open the Site to Phone bookmark on your phone to view the page.  That is it!

The extension also keeps a history of all of the links you send to your phone.  You can view your history by going to SitetoPhone.com

You can also send text or a web address to your phone through the extension’s website.  Just go to SitetoPhone.com, enter some text and press “send to phone”.

How Can You Use Site to Phone?

• As a real estate appraiser, I use Site to Phone to send tax record and plat map web addresses to my phone.  It is easier to search for these things on my laptop but sometimes I need to reference the information when I am out in the field.  This is an easy way to take the information with me.
• Homebuyers can use it to send real estate listings to their phone.  You might find a house on the internet that you want to look at.  Send the listing to your phone so you don’t have to print it out.
• The extension is also an easy way to send your company website to your phone to see how it looks on a mobile device.  You might install a new WordPress template on your real estate blog.  Use Site to Phone to send the webpage to your phone so you don’t have to type the address in.
• If you find a good recipe that you want to try, send the web address to your phone instead a taking your laptop into the kitchen.

How will you use Site to Phone?

Google has updated their iPhone app and now includes the Click2Call feature.  This means you can make free phone calls on your iPhone using Google Voice.

Before this update, when you placed a phone call using the Google Voice iPhone app, your iPhone would be connected to the number you called.  The caller would see your Google Voice number as the caller ID, BUT, you would use your cellphone minutes.

Now, with Click2Call, you can use any number of services like SipGate or Whistle VOIP to make free phone calls.  You can also use a service like Skype or Line2 to make really inexpensive phone calls.

Hands on with Click2Call on the iPhone

Click HERE if you can not see the embedded video above.

How does it work?

When you enable Click2Call, GV will ask you to choose what phone number to use to connect your phone call.  (These phone numbers have to verified in your Google Voice Settings.)

We will use Sipgate for this example because:

• It is free to sign up
• You get a free phone number (it might not be a local number but that doesn’t matter)
• You get free incoming calls
• It works many many SIP clients on the iPhone

When you choose to use your Sipgate number, Google Voice will call that number (this is an incoming phone call to Sipgate so it’s free).

You will have to setup a SIP client on your iPhone to work with Sipgate.  Fring and Nimbuzz both work with Sipgate, both are free, and both have free push notifications for incoming calls.

The SIP client (Fring in this example) will send a push notification that you have an incoming phone call.

When you answer the call, Google Voice will connect you with the number you dialed.

That Is it!  Make free phone calls on your iPhone using the Google Voice app!

What you need

• A free Google Voice account
• The GV iPhone app
• Enable Click2Call on the GV app under the settings button.
• A free account at Sipgate
• A free phone phone number from Sipgate (It does not have to be a local number, any US phone number will work).
• An iPhone app that works with Sipgate.  The iPhone app must be able to send push notifications of incoming calls. (Fring and Nimbuzz both work and are both free).
• You must add and verify your Sipgate number in your Google Voice account settings.

The click2call feature has been available to use in a web browser for awhile.  There are several good tutorials for using Sipgate with Google Voice, including this one at Lifehacker.com.  The setup is the same, but now you can make the calls from both your desktop and cellphone.

You can also make inexpensive phone calls if you use your Skype or Line2 phone number with Google Voice.  Either way, you can  save your cellphone minutes.

Bottom Line

Real estate professionals constantly use their cell phone as a way to communicate with clients and colleagues.  While is takes a few more clicks to make a phone call, using the Click2Call feature of Google Voice is an easy way to reduce your cellphone bill.

Bing has updated their iPhone app to include Geofencing and a Streetside Viewer.  Bing’s streetside viewer gives you ground level photographs of an area, giving a full 360 degree panorama view.  The geofence features allows you to set reminders based on your location.

Familiarize yourself with a location before you go, using Bing Streetside. Streetside, a new mapping feature, gives you a multi-street level panorama of a location so you can take a virtual walk through the streets with a view of a location and its landmarks. Slide the street level imagery sideways, and the view of the sidewalk is seamlessly constructed, including an overlay of business listings, street names and store fronts. via iTunes

Hands on with Bing’s iPhone app

Click HERE if you can not see the embedded video above.

Bing’s streetside viewer allows you to see a streetview of an area.   You can easily swipe your finger along along the image to move down the street.  You can tap the street name of any cross streets to move onto that street.  All along the way, the app lists the businesses and you can view the business info by tapping their names.  Zooming into into the image turns it into a panoramic photo that you can rotate 360 degrees.

Access streetview from a business listing by tapping “streetside”.

Streetview is not available for all areas but is very exciting for the real estate industry.  If you are buying a house or moving, you can use the the app to give you a better feel for a neighborhood.  You can view all of the businesses and familiarize yourself with the area, all from your iPhone.

Bing’s geofencing feature allows you to set reminders based on a location.  Access geofencing from a business listing by tapping “add a reminder”.

A map will appear with the location and a geofence.  You can set the geofence to be within a block or a neighborhood.  The image below shows the location (the blue dot) in the middle of the map and the geofence is the blue circle around the dot.

Type in a reminder at the top of the screen and press save.  The app will track your location and when you enter the geofence, bing will send you the reminder that you saved.

Other features of the app

The app also includes Bing Vision.  Take a picture of something and Bing Vision will pick out words from the photo, allowing the users to customize a web search.  You can see from the image below, Bing Vision has recognized several words and highlighted them with a white box.

You can also check in with the app, sharing your location with your social network.

A future release will let users create a panoramic photo by stitching together snap shots taken by the user.

Bottom Line

The iPhone’s operating system was updated to iOS4 earlier this year and now allows apps to run in the background.  This is huge news especially for location based apps that can track your location.  However, there are still few location based apps that take advantage of this.  Geofencing needs this to work but the real estate industry currently under utilizes this feature and geofencing.  Geofencing is very exciting and hopefully one day soon a geofence might help you find your next home.

Download the Bing iPhone app from the app store for free: iTunes