Data Input Form Improvements

Since the release of REsearch 4.3, we have been focused on streamlining and reducing the length of the data input form. To meet this overarching objective, we have reviewed and prioritized hundreds of bug tickets and feature suggestions over the past few months.

In order to ensure that these improvements lead to a system that better serves the day-to-day needs of our members and users, we need your help.

This effort has so far relied on several rounds of review and feedback, and we have consulted extensively with our directors, most active users, top producing Realtors, beta testers and trainers. Now, prior to committing development resources to making any change, we are now providing our general membership with a proposed mock-up of the data input form, and a detailed list of improvements.

Main Objectives

The most important changes that will be addressed in the revised data input form (REsearch 4.5) are:

1. Making it simpler to enter and search for short sale and REO listings by creating a specific and higher placed section on the form.
2. Vastly simplifying the “Fees” section.
3. Setting several fields to be no longer required, and removing several fields entirely.

As part of the process of streamlining and shortening the data input form, we have conducted several top-to-bottom reviews of the entire document. In all, from minor improvements to more substantial revisions, we’ve compiled a list of about 100 individual changes.

We know this may seem overwhelming, as it certainly was for our team. But we want to definitively and aggressively answer the clear call for a shorter form, with fewer redundant entries, and more clear organization.

Realtors want to spend less time on data entry, and more time running their business. And we at HIS want to move forward as well, onto other REsearch priorities and new ways to serve our members.

We Need You!

Below, please find a downloadable, printable PDF mock-up of the proposed data input form, as well as a link to a HTML rendering. We are also providing the full list of changes reflected on the mock-up. We humbly ask a few minutes of your time to review these changes, and to provide feedback on whether this new form is indeed a step in the right direction.

Your input is vitally important. More than ever, we want to take special care to collect and address the needs, concerns, and frustrations of everyone before changing a single line of code.

Send any and all comments and questions to feedback@hawaiiinformation.com. Please be as specific as possible. We would very much like to hear from you by Monday, Oct. 4, 2010.

Revised Input Form Mock-Up

To download a simple PDF mock-up of the proposed revised data input form, please click here:

You will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to view and print this document.

An HTML version of the form can be found here.

Important Note: These are rough mock-ups that reflect the various changes detailed below. It does not necessarily show precise changes to layout, element positioning, and spacing that will inevitably result from these changes, and which we are separately addressing.

Detailed List of Changes

LISTORS:

1. Reduce the Listing Agent section. (TT 14591)
2. Reduce agent headshot. (TT 14591)

LISTING BASICS:

1. Move “Street Direction” field to after “Street Number”. (TT15038)
2. Driving Directions no longer required. (TT15039 )
3. Other Address: Change “St. #” to “Street Number2 and Street Number3”. Change “Street Name(2) and Street Name (3)” to “Street Name2  and Street Name3”. Change “St. Direction” to “Street Direction2 and Street Direction3”. Move Street Direction to after Street Number/Name fields. (TT15064)
4. Eliminate the Print Remarks (Public) field. Print remarks will be pulled from the Public Remarks Field (a.k.a. Remarks for Customers) with the possibility of size/character limitations on formats
5. (ie., MLS Brochure, MLS Book & MLS Quick).  (TT 14952)
6. Eliminate the Listing Comments (Private) field. (TT 14952)

LISTING DETAILS:

1. “# of Lots” & “Topography” are no longer required fields. (TT 15039)
2. View: Eliminate “None” as an option. (TT15060).
3. Combine under “Topography/Elevation”: “Topography” & Elevation fields(Elevation Low & Elevation High). (TT15041)
4. Same as above under “Utilities”:  “Power”, “Water”, “Waste Treatment System”, “Sewer”(formerly Sewer Type), “Solid Waste Disposal”, “Telephone Availability”, “TV Availability” & “Internet Availability”.  (TT15041)

PROPERTY DETAILS:

1. General Property Info., Permits: Replace “OK” with “Closed”. Change “Still Open” to “Open” as option. (TT 14958)
2. General Property Info., Eliminate “Crops Currently on Land” from this section. (TT 14960)
3. Move “Golf Membership Available” within the General Property Info category. (TT 14922)
4. Easement: Replace “No Easements’ with “None” as an option.  Change “Egress” to “Ingress/Egress” and eliminate “Ingress” as option. (TT 14990) Relocated Easement/Set Back categories, combined them under new category entitled “Easement/Set Backs (TT15041)
5. Fencing: Remove “Party Walls” as an option. Add “Chain Link”, “Metal” & “Vinyl” to list of options. (TT 14963).  Fencing: Change “Rock Walls” to “Rock/Stone”. Eliminate “Stone” as option. (TT15045)
6. Pool: Add “Pool Equipment” as an option. (TT 15007)
7. Pool: Change “Concrete/Gunite/Shotcrete” to “Concrete/Gunite”. Add “none” as an option. (TT15042)
8. Power:  Add “Overhead” and “Underground” as options (Promoted to Live). Eliminate “Electricity” as option. (TT 14796)
9. TV Availability: Add “Antenna” as an option. (Promoted to Live)
10. Water: Change “County” to “Public/County”, “Well” to “Well(s)” as options. (TT 14997-Rev 9/24) Change “Water Treatment System” to “Treatment System” as option. (15047)
11. Water: Change option from “Water Treatment System” to “Treatment System”. (TT 15047)
12. Water Features: Eliminate “Pool” & “Cascades”, “River”, “Lake” & “Stream”. Add “Other (remarks)” as option. (TT14999-Rev 9/24)
13. Sewer: Change “Waste Treatment System” to “Sewer” as option. (TT14998)
14. Sewer Type: Change category name from “Sewer Type” to “Sewer”. Eliminate “Available” as an option, leaving “Connected” & “Connection  Required” as only options.  (TT15048)
15. Solid Waste Disposal (Trash): Remove “Owner must haul personally”. Add “Included w/Maintenance Fees” as an option. (TT 14594)
16. Solid Waste Disposal: Remove the word “Provided” from all options and display as: “By County at no cost”, “By Private Contractor for a fee” & “By County for a fee”. (TT15043)
17. Elevation: Change “Elevation Lowest Range” to “Elevation Low” and change “Elevation Highest Range” to “Elevation High”.  (TT 15000)
18. Relocating fields within the section in this order: PROPERTY DETAILS: General Property Info(Zoning, State Land Use, Ag Dedicated, Flood & Lava Zones, etc.), Land Description(Lot Description-Land, Land Area, # of Lots, Frontage & View), Easement/Set Backs, Roads, Fencing, Pool, Utilities(Power, Water, Waste Treatment System, Sewer, Telephone Availability, TV Availability, Internet Availability), Solid Waste Disposal, Water Features & Topography/Elevation. (TT 15070)
19. Same as above, combine under category entitled “Land Description”. “Lot Description – Land”, “# of Lots”, “Frontage” & “View”.  (TT15041).
20. Frontage: Change “Marina/Canal” to “Marina”. Change “Road” to “Road/Street”. Change “Highway” to “Highway/Freeway”. (TT15040)
21. “# of Lots” & “Topography” are no longer required fields. (TT 15039)
22. View: Eliminate “None” as an option. (TT15060).
23. Combine under “Topography/Elevation”: “Topography” & Elevation fields(Elevation Low & Elevation High). (TT15041)
24. Same as above under “Utilities”:  “Power”, “Water”, “Waste Treatment System”, “Sewer”(formerly Sewer Type), “Solid Waste Disposal”, “Telephone Availability”, “TV Availability” & “Internet Availability”.  (TT15041)

FINANCIAL DETAILS:

1. Terms Acceptable:  Eliminate “MISC” & “Open”.  Add  “Swap/Trade “. Change “1031” to “1031 Exchange”, “HULA” to “HULA MAE”, “Construction” to “Construction Loan” as options. (TT 14964)
2. Seller Financing:  Change “Purch $ Mortg” to “PMM”(Promoted to Live). “Sub A/S” to Sub Agreement of Sale”. (TT 15002-Rev 9/24)
3. Leasehold Information. Lessee Pays: Change “Excise Tax” to “GET” as an option for consistency with the rest of the form. GET – General Excise Tax. Eliminate “Utilities” as an option. (TT14964)
4. Fees category: Eliminated category title “Totals”. Replaced “Community Fees (Monthly)”, “Condominium Fees (Monthly)” and “Master Development Fees (Monthly)” with “Total Monthly Fees (Association/ Maintenance) and “Master Development Fees”. Both Totals are a sum of the combined fees (i.e., All Grounds, Assessment, CAM, Clubhouse, Electric, Gold, Health Club, Lease Rent, Maint, Marina, Roadway, Security, Pool/Sauna/Hot tub, Trash Removal, Misc). (TT 14995)
5. Eliminated “Sewer Fee Payable” along with checkboxes: Monthly, Annually and Total in Full.
6. (TT 14995)
7. Relocate “Tax Year” from “Assessment Data” field to “Other Annual Fees and Info” field.
8. Move next to “Taxes (Annual)” field. (TT 14995)
9. Eliminated “Spec Assess Loan Payable” checkboxes: Monthly & Yearly. (TT 14995)
10. Eliminated “Association Dues/year”, fees to be displayed under “Total Monthly Fees(Association & Maintenance)”. (TT 14995)
11. Eliminated ” Home Owner Association Docs and checkboxes: Yes & No. (TT 14995)
12. Road Maint. Amt: No longer a required field. (TT 14995)
13. Eliminate “Documents Available” field and all the options entirely. (TT 14995)
14. Combine into one box in this order under the title “Existing Financial”:  “Existing Loan Type”, “Existing Financial” categories & “Add Mortgage” button together to improve usability and conserve space. (TT15065)
15. Relocating fields within the section in this order: FINANCIAL DETAILS, Terms Acceptable, Seller Financing, Leasehold Information(Leasehold Info. & Lessee Pays), Fees(Total Monthly Fees, Master Dev Fees, Other Fees, etc), Existing Financial(Existing Loan Type &  Add Mortgage). (TT15066)

BUILDINGS:

1. Eliminate “Model House Open”. (TT 14893)
2. Eliminate “Furniture/Fixture/Fittings Amount” field. (TT 14893)
3. Relocate within section “Model Name” & “Building Description”.
4. Building Description no longer required. (TT 15039)
5. Eliminate “Card No.”. (TT 14893)
6. Combine into one box the following fields in this order after the “Buildings”: “Unit Description (Bldg)”, “Square Footage” & “Other Square Footage Type”.  New category name is “Unit Description (Bldg) (TT 15070)
7. Rooms: Change “Baths, Half” to “Baths 1/2”. (TT 15050)
8. Furnished no longer a required field. (TT 15039)
9. Features:  Eliminate the following: 1 Restroom, 2 Restrooms, Alley, Appliance/Unit, Ceiling Fan, Chandelier, Chill Room, Computer Room, Dark Room, Deck/Lanai/Balcony, Den/Office/Study, Dining Area, Dining Room, Dog Run/Invisible Fence, Eat in Kitchen/Nook, Entry, Exercise Room, Exterior Sign, Family Room, Furniture, Gar/Car Ea Unit, Gas, Goodwill, Great Room, Gas Options, Heated Pool, Heli Pad, Interior Sprinkler System, Kitchen Window, Kitchenware, Landing Strip, Laundry Room, Lease, LH Improve, Library, Licenses, Limo Service, Linens, Loft, Maids/Guest Qtrs, Media Room, Open Lanai, Patio/Deck, Porch, Private Yard, Real Prop, Rear Entry, Resident Manager, Satellite Dish, Sauna/Steam room, Screen Porch, Sidewalk, Sunroom, Trade Name, TV Antenna, Water Treatment System, Whirlpool, Wine Cellar, Workshop/Work Space & Yard. Add “Wine Cooler”.  Change “Comm Kitchen” to “Community Kitchen”; Change “Exterior Sprinkler” to “Sprinkler System-Exterior”, “Fire/Interior Sprinkler” to “Sprinkler System-Interior”, “Lawn Sprinkler” to “Sprinkler System-Lawn”. Change “Wet Bar” to “Bar-Wet”. Change “Dry Bar” to “Bar-Dry”.  Change “9′ Ceilings” to “Ceilings – 9’+”. Change “Cathedral/Vault Ceilings” to “Ceiling-Cathedral”. Add  “Ceiling-Vaulted”. (TT15052)
10. Bath Features: Add “Steam Room/Sauna” as an option. (TT14971)
11. Appliances:  Make a required field.  Add “None” as an option.  Move the field, “Washer/Dryer Type” to this section and rename “Washer/Dryer” with the following options: None, Coin Operated, Dryer, Gas Powered, Hook-ups Avail., Individual leased Equipment, Shared, Stacked W/D & Other (remarks). (TT15069)
12. Add Water Heater category: Move Solar Water Heater” & Water Heater” next to “Water Heater Size(Bldg)” as checkbox options: Electric, Gas, Solar & Tankless. (TT15069)
13. Kitchen Features:  Add “Eat in Kitchen/Nook” as an option. Change “Pantry – Butler” to “Pantry”. Eliminate “Pantry-Closet” & “Pantry-Walk-in” from list of options. (TT 14973)
14. Countertops: Change “Corian” to “Solid Surface”; change “Formica” to “Laminate” as options. (TT14974)
15. Fireplace Type:  Eliminate Attached doors/screen, Gas Starter, Includes Accessories & Pellet as options. (TT 14975)
16. Eliminate “Appliance/Unit”, “Chandelier(s)”, “Ceiling Fan(s)”. Convert all data from these fields to “Other(remarks). Note: Eliminating Chandelier(s) and Ceiling Fan(s) was due to redundancy, they already exist under Features(Bldg) as “#Ceiling Fans”, “#Chandeliers”. (TT15052)
17. Meters: Add “Sub Meter” as an option.  (TT 14976)
18. Roof Material: Add “Concrete Tile”, “Copper”, “Cedar Shake”, “Tile” & “Wood Shingle”. Changed “Other” to “Other (Remarks)” to list of options.  Change “Metal” with “Steel/Metal” as options. (TT 14692)
19. Eliminate “Basement Type” & all options. (TT 14979)
20. Floor Coverings (Bldg): Change name from “Floor Coverings (Bldg)” to “Flooring”. Replace “Hardwood Solid” with “Hardwood” and eliminate “Pine” as options. (TT 14980)
21. Exterior Finish (Bldg): Eliminate “Above Ground” as an option. (Relocated here, in order of Listing Input form.)  Change “Shiplap” to  “Shiplap Siding”. Change “Batten Finish” to “Board & Batten”. (TT 15004)
22. Exterior: Replace “Lanai” with “Lanai/Patio”; Eliminate “Patio” as an option. Add:  “Balcony”,  “Porch” & “Other (See Remarks)” as options. (TT 14695)
23. Design (Bldg): Eliminate “Board and Batten”, “Masonry/Stucco” & “Shiplap Siding” as options.
24. (TT 15004)
25. Foundation: Eliminate “Wood Piers” as an option. Redundant, same as “Post & Pier.” (TT 14891)
26. Heating/Cooling (Bldg): Add “Solar Hot Water” as an option. (TT 14697)
27. Vehicle Storage/Parking (Bldg): Change title from “Vehicle Storage/Parking (Bldg) ” to “Parking (Bldg)”. (TT 14693)
28. Parking (Bldg): # of Deeded Stalls (Bldg):  Change category to read “Total Parking per Unit”. (TT 14982).
29. Parking (Bldg): Eliminate “Total Parking Spaces” from this section. (TT15053)
30. Pets: Add “Dog Run/Invisible Fence” as an option. (TT 14893)
31. Rooms: Retain drop-down option and retain “Description”.  FYI, eliminated rooms under Features (Bldg) to avoid redundancy, for they already existed under the Rooms drop down menu of options.
32. Schools: Eliminate “Contact Name”, “Phone” and “Extension”. (TT 14984)
33. Combine these fields in this order & relocate below the field “Features (Bldg)”.  New category title called “Other Features”: “Kitchen Features(Bldg)”, “Bath Features”, “Countertops”, “Flooring”, “Appliances”, “Washer//Dryer”, “Window Coverings(Bldg)”, “Fireplace(Bldg)” & “Fireplace Location” to improve usability & improve space. (TT15070)
34. Relocating fields within the section in this order: BUILDINGS(Bldg Description, Model Name, etc), Unit Description(Bldg) (Unit Description & Square Footage), Rooms, Building Type, Furnished, Features(Bldg), Other Features(Kitchen Features, Bath Features, Countertops, Flooring, Appliances, Washer/Dryer, Window Coverings, Fireplace, Fireplace Location, Pets, Loading Type, Meters, Security(Bldg), Exclusions, Construction Information(Construction Info., Design(Bldg), Property Condition, Roofing, Roof Material, Roof Design, Roof Structure, Insulation, Heating/Cooling(Bldg), Basement Type, Exterior, Exterior Finish(Bldg), Foundation, Driveway, Parking(Bldg), Add Room, Contacts & Schools. (TT15070)
35. Building Description & Parking(Bldg) are no longer required fields. (TT15039)

BUSINESS/COMMERCIAL DETAILS:

1. Ownership: Change title from “Entity Type” to “Ownership Type”. Add “LLC” as an option. (TT 14984)
2. Combine into one box in this order after “Current Use”:  “Income Derived-Business”, “Business Location’, “# Days Open”, “Employees”, “Expense Derived”, “Trading Hours” & “Lease Type – Business” to improve usability & conserve space. (TT15057)
3. “Business Name”, “Business Age”, “Business Yrs Owned”, “Gross Income”, “Gross Expenses”, “Expense Year”, “Net Profit”, “Relocate able”, “Asset Sale”, “Home Based”, “Entity Type”, “# Days “Open” & “Employees” are no longer required fields. (TT15039)
4. Current Use. Change “Multi-Family” to Multi-Family Income”. Eliminate the following: Jewelry, Free Standing, Retail Mall, Services, Office Building & Retail Outlet. Convert data from these fields to “Other”. (TT15057)
5. Eliminate completely “Income Derived – Business” & “Expense Derived” categories.  Add new category entitled “Financial Information Available” and populate with the following options: Accountant, Appraisal, Broker, Excise Tax, P&L, Projection, Tax Return & Other(remarks). (TT 15057)
6. Change Business Location to a multi selectable category. (TT 15057)
7. Change “Trading Hours” to “Business Hours”. Change the options as follows: Change “Less than 8 hrs per day” to “Less than 8”. Change “More than 10 hrs per day” to “More than 8”.  Change “24 Hours” to “24”. Eliminate “8 hours per day”, “9 hours per day” & “10 hours per day” as options.  (TT15057)

CROPS:

1. Changed Section title from “Crops” to “Crops/Livestock”. (TT15059)
2. Added “Crops Included” as Yes/No checkbox. Added “Crops Area (acre)” and “Crops Remarks” fields. (TT15059)
3. Added “Livestock Included as Yes/No checkbox.  Added “Livestock Area (acre)” & “Livestock Remarks”.  (TT15059)

SIGNATURE:

1. Add additional line labeled “Seller 4” & “Date” to existing Seller lines. (TT15071).

GENERAL:

1. Change under all Sections/Categories/Fields with “Other (see Remarks)” to “Other (remarks)”.

TestTrack (TT) numbers are from our internal ticket tracking system. If you have comments on specific entries above, it would be helpful (but is not required) to reference the TT number.

Data Input and Other Improvements

With the restoration of Condos as a Property Type in REsearch 4.4, we are now focused on providing a simpler, shorter data input form. Working from your considerable feedback, our staff, product advisory teams and Board of Directors hope to deliver a form with fewer fields (and fewer required fields), allowing you to more quickly get your listings into the system.

In the mean time, we have made some changes to REsearch today to make it easier to navigate the data input form. Along with these improvements, we’ve released a number of additional fixes with REsearch 4.4.1, detailed below.

More Visible Required Fields

While a shorter data input form is on the way, we’ve made it easier to find required fields as you input listings in REsearch. Firstly, we’ve made required fields more visible with larger red asterisks:

We have also relocated and rephrased the the tab key settings to emphasize that you can set the data input form to jump to the next empty required field by hitting the ‘Tab’ key. With this setting, you can quickly enter or review only those fields required to input and release a new listing.

REsearch 4.4.1 Release Notes

In addition to data input form improvements, a number of fixes have also been implemented since the release of REsearch 4.4 on July 8. A total of 72 tickets are now fixed in REsearch 4.4.1, including:

• 14274 – Fixed right-hand scroll bar on REVO.
• 14375 – Changed “OLD” to “Prev” in display format.
• 14548 – Fixed issue with TMK history displaying in combined MLS searches.
• 14601 – Corrected DOM resets when trasferrng listings  to another broker.
• 14608 – Improved display of ‘Market IQ’ in REVO (see below).
• 14614 – Fixed error when putting in Condo Fees and Maintenance Fees.
• 14628 – Fixed error preventing listing updates.
• 14678 – Added disclosure section to MLS Mid.
• 14682 – Fixed issue with downloading Labels in CSV format.
• 14734 – Fixed issue with rentals appearing in non-rental searches in Mid format.

Notably, the Market IQ section was updated on REVO to better reflect what you will see in the actual Market IQ program.  Now you can easily see what you have had listed since January 1st, and what you have sold since January 1st.  Previously these numbers were mixed together.  Office listings and sales have also been separated for easier viewing.

In addition, several Condo Guide and HAR form documents were updated.

What’s Next

Our development priority remains streamlining the data input form, including reducing its length, reducing the total number of fields, and reducing the number of required fields. We have received a great deal of feedback relating to the form, and appreciate any additional thoughts you might have as we move forward with this initiative. Your feedback and suggestions have been an important part of the process, so please don’t hesitate to let us know how we can improve REsearch, and how we can serve you better.

Condos are Back

Condos have been restored as a simple property type with REsearch 4.4. The upgrade was completed early this morning. We’d like to thank you for your feedback, support, and patience over the past few weeks, and following this change, we look forward to implementing additional improvements to ensure REsearch remains a vital and useful tool in growing your business.

Below, please find a summary of changes you’ll find in REsearch 4.4, beginning with the condo type. We’d also like to provide some updated tips on listing and searching for properties in REsearch.

REsearch 4.4 Changes

Here is a summary of changes included with today’s REsearch 4.4 release. Going forward, we plan to provide more frequent and detailed updates on enhancements and fixes made to REsearch.

• Restored “Condo” as a Property Type.
• Moved “Terms Acceptable” section from “Listing Details” to the top of “Financial Details.”
• Combined “REO” and “Lender Sale” options into a single “REO/Lender Sale” option, and moved it from “Restrictions on Commission” to “Disclosures.”
• Removed “Due on Sale” and “Seller Financing” options from “Terms Acceptable.”
• Removed “Relative of Licensee” from “Disclosures” section.
• Removed “Yard Space” and “Vacant Area” from “Fencing Section” of “Property Details.”
• Removed “Subject to Replacement Property” from “Sale Condition.”
• Added “Fiber Cement Siding” to exterior options under the “Building” section.
• Added “Upon Recordation” to “Possession.”
• Under “Fees,” clarified values are monthly for community, master dev and condo fees, and are annual for other fees.

How to List Condo, Residential, and Res-Condo Properties

With the 4.4 release you will want to pay renewed attention to how you list your properties.

If you are listing a Residential property, you will want to list it as:

• Property Type: Residential
• Subtype: Attached (if the building is attached to another building), Detached (if it’s a stand-alone a building), Ohana/ADU -Permitted (This is if the property is a permitted Ohana), Under Construction (Building is between 1% and 99% complete)
• Ownership: Full (If you will own full rights to the property), Fractional (If you own a portion of the property), or Timeshare (where you own a portion of time to use the property)
• Tenure: Fee Simple (Full Ownership) or Leasehold (You lease the property for period of time)

To List a Condo:

• Property Type: Condo
• Subtype: Attached (Your typical Condo in which the unit is attached to other units) or Detached (By all definitions it registered as a Condo however it’s a free standing unit)
• Ownership: CPR (This is typical Condo ownership), Co-Op, (When you purchase a Unit, you are really purchasing Shares into the corporation), Fractional or Timeshare
• Tenure: Fee Simple or Leasehold

To List a Res-Condo:

• Property Type: Residential
• Subtype: Attached or Detached
• Ownership: CPR (Meaning that even though this is a house, the land has been CPR’d and there may be an association that handles common areas)
• Tenure: Fee Simple or Leasehold

If you still have questions about how to list a property, please don’t hesitate to call us. An improperly listed property may never be seen by potential buyers! So if you’re unsure, contact us and we can help.

How to Search for Properties

“Less is More” with REsearch. The fewer parameters you put in, the more properties you will find. By bringing “Condo” back as a property type, you now only have to select “Condo” to find your condos. You can use the Subtype, Ownership and Tenure fields to further drill down to a specific property, but you will no longer need to do so.

To find a condo, simply click on “Condo” under “Property Type.” If you want to find only fee-simple condos, simply choose “Condo” as your property type, and “Fee Simple” as your land Tenure.

If you want to find residential properties without condos, choose only the “Residential” option under “Property Type.” The Subtype, Ownership and Land Tenure will only help you drill down further to a specific property.

Also, please note: Fractional and Timeshare listings will automatically be excluded from searches. If you wish to search for these, you must add them using the “Ownership” field.

Again if you have any questions, please contact us.

What’s Next

Restoring Condos as a Property Type was our top priority, and we are glad to be able to implement this change today. However, we know that there is much more that we can do to improve REsearch.

In the next few weeks, our development priorities will focus on streamlining the data input form, improving our many print and display formats, and cross-platform browser support.

In this latest release, as with all REsearch releases, your feedback and suggestions have been an important part of the process. Please don’t hesitate to let us know how we can serve you better.

Downtime Reminder for July 7

A quick reminder as we enter the Independence Day holiday weekend: REsearch will have scheduled downtime beginning at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 7. Please mark your calendars, and be sure you have completed your work in REsearch before this time. The data conversion process will take roughly five hours, and internal testing will commence immediately to ensure REsearch is available first thing in the morning.

Preparing for REsearch 4.4

This downtime will primarily allow us to restore Condos as a Property Type in REsearch. There will be other minor changes as well. If you’d like a more detailed preview of what’s coming in REsearch 4.4, we have scheduled live webinars where we will be happy to walk you through the changes. Sign up for one of these webinars today by clicking your preferred time below:

• 10 a.m. HST on Wednesday, July 7
• 2 p.m. HST on Wednesday, July 7

We’d also encourage you to review the listing tips we shared in our last announcement, as well as the helpful list of definitions provided in our online help to better understand the many types, subtypes, and ownership options available.

Please have a happy 4th of July!

Condo Type Fix on July 7

Condo Type Fix Update: Scheduled Downtime Beginning July 7 at 8 p.m.

Aloha!

We are focused on bringing back Condo as a Type. As such, considerable effort has gone into refining the Types, Subtypes and Ownership fields in order to streamline the options and ensure the integrity of the data output.

Downtime Notice

With these ongoing efforts, we’ve rescheduled the release date for these changes to Wednesday, July 7. The system will be taken offline at 8 p.m. Please mark your calendars, and be sure you have completed your work in REsearch before this time. The data conversion process will take roughly five hours, and internal testing will commence immediately to ensure REsearch is avaialable first thing in the morning.

Listing Tips

Prior to changing our system to support Condos as a type, we want to make sure that all properties are listed correctly. This will be critical for the data to be converted properly. Here is a simple overview of how listings should be entered.

Houses (Single Family Residential) should be:

Type: Residential
Subtype: SF-Detached, SF-Attached, Cabin, Manufactured Home, Ohana, or Partially Improved
Ownership: Fee Simple or Leasehold

Condos should be:

Type: Residential
Subtype: Garden, Low Rise, Mid Rise, High Rise, Penthouse
Ownership: CPR-Fee Simple CPR-Leasehold

There will be some anomalies, such as Stand Alone Units with no common walls attached that are considered Condos. These will need your attention after the conversion. For now, you can list these as “Residential/Lowrise/CPR-Fee Simple or CPR-Leasehold” so that they will be converted to be a “Condo” on July 7 and come up properly in Condo searches.

Also, some agents have listed their Condos as ‘Multi-Family.’ This is incorrect. Multi-Family refers to a whole building of units for sale, not individual units.

Eliminating ‘Other’

We’ve noticed that a number of Agents have used ‘OTHER’ for options. We originally included this as a catch-all, in case there was something that really didn’t fit any of the other categories. We’ve decided to drop this as an option as it has caused too much confusion. If you have anything listed as ‘OTHER,’ please change it to fit into a proper category. If you need help on this matter, please contact us.

Definitions In Review

We’d like to encourage you to check out the list of definitions provided in our online help. As it covers the many types, subtypes, and ownership options available, you may want to print it out as a quick reference guide. Many agents have found the definition list helpful in setting the most appropriate single subtype for your listing.

http://hisFAQ.HawaiiInformation.com/absolutehelp/?f=772

How You Can Help

We appreciate your support and effort to check your listings for the above issues. In addition, please forward this email to any agent that may have improperly listed their properties. The better the data we have going into a conversion, the better the data will be coming out of it.

Please mark your calendars for Wednesday, July 7. Once the system is restored, we will update you again on the next steps ahead for REsearch.

Mahalo,

Bob Schoenthal
Hawaii Information Service Product Manager