Let me start by saying that I am not primarily a residential appraiser, I do complete a residential report now and then but sometimes I don't use residential appraisal software for months.  That said, I consider myself to be at least an intermediate level computer user and wave my computer systems degree around to prove it.  After assembler, Basic, C++, java, visual basic and many other related courses I can legitamately claim to be not a beginner.  Add that to the fact that I have been involved with and owned manycomputers since the first Apple, IBM PC and even the old Osborne 1 hit the street, and you get the picture.

Residential appraisal software is basically form completion software.  There are currently only a few providers and unless you have very specialized needs any of the packages will work for you.  The differences in the packages has to do with; ease of use, the types of forms included and importantly support.  Nothing, not even form completion software, is simple in an environment with +/- 50 different processessors, +/- 50 computer manufactures and +/-20 operating systems.  

My comments are based on my personal experiences with these companies and my purchase of software packages from them.  Since I have been a "basic" user, with sketch programs, maps, etc. already owned, I have never purchased their "packages," although at one point I did pay for an A la Mode Appraiser X Site.  I have received nothing from anyone, so there is no bias going on here, just my opinions.  All of the packages mentioned that their current versions are advertised as "UAD Ready." 

I first purchased a Bradford and Robbins appraisal forms package (now Bradford Technoligies - Clickforms) many years ago.  It was bargain priced and I used it for maybe a year or two.  I had not a problem with it, and using it was much better than typing forms, which is how I began my appraisal career.  I am out of touch with the latest version, but I see that the basic package has turned into a subscription that is $ 49 plus the $ 49 a month or $ 637 per year (for the first year).  Since I use the residential forms program only once in a while the $ 49 every month is an offensive fee since for many months I would pay for no service at all.  I wouldn't be opposed

to a per use fee like that charged by Marshall Valuation Service for access to their cost information, say $ 5 to access the program in the Cloud for each appraisal.  The users doing 20 residential report would likely pay $ 100, while I would pay $ 10 to $ 20 and sometime nothing, which is reasonable.

ACI was smart enough to figure out early on that working with the appraisal users (Mortgage Lenders / Banks) would effectively force appraisers to purchase their wares.  They had a good product and I eventually did purchased their software package.  At one time in the past I had an appraisal office and I had more than 3 machines with licensed ACI software packages on them.  They programs worked well, even when I installed a server.  ACI now runs $ 699 and if you want to have any support you can add $ 395 to $ 949 per year.  So a basic appraisal package with support from ACI is around $ 1,094 for the first year.  ACI is popular and they cater to larger appaisal firms.

A la Mode offers a basic package (Total 2011) for $ 549 with minimal support package at $ 349 per year.  That's $ 898 for the basic package for the first year.  I puchased this package without the support because it was on sale for $ 299 with a 100 day support guarantee.  Just after the 100 days support guarantee expired the program stopped working, for what reason I guess I will never know, and it became worthless since I would pay for the support.  I'm not saying that there are "black helicopters" that destroy its usefulness at a time certain, its a term decryed by the CEO when he contacted me, but suffice it said that no one including the CEO could ever get the program to work again. 

Homeputer offers FPS 6.0 for $ 249, the most reasonable fee of the group I have reviewed here.  I purchased this package rather than pay A la Mode for thier support after the fiasco with Total 2011 that I described.  It was refressing to buy a program from a company that is not focused on how important an annual "gold" or "platinum" support package was.  FPS 6.0 is easy to use and offers a great number of forms.  It create photo pages with a seperate program, which is not as slick as some of the other "drag and drop" forms, but for the money I think it is a bargain.

If you return to this article you may find that I have made some additions or modifications as time goes by.  I'm sure that there are other takes on these companies and their products, these just happen to be mine.