software for absentee owners - Posted by tlm

import · April 12, 2004, 5:55pm

Posted by tlm on April 14, 2004 at 08:22:42:

Thanks, that’s a great start!

import · April 12, 2004, 5:55pm

Posted by tlm on April 12, 2004 at 17:55:35:

Can anyone recommend software that will help me pull absentee owners off my county cd? I can easily get the information imported into my works database, but the filters don’t allow me to compare one field (i.e. property zip code) to another (i.e. owner mailing zip code) to find absentee owners, at least not that I can figure out.

import · April 13, 2004, 2:19pm

Re: software for absentee owners - Posted by tlm

Posted by tlm on April 13, 2004 at 14:19:19:

Ok, maybe I should back up here. I know there are investors out there targeting absentee owners, so how is everyone getting this information? Perhaps the cd I got from the county is not the way to go after all.

import · April 12, 2004, 9:12pm

Re: software for absentee owners - Posted by Tom-FL

Posted by Tom-FL on April 12, 2004 at 21:12:42:

Can you write queries on this software? I’m pretty sure ACT! won’t let you do a lookup as you suggest but I think you could write a query for it.

If not that, look into how duplicate checking is handled on imports. If it compares new data with existing data, you could import twice. First just get the data in. Then import the same data but crossmap the two fields, and instruct it to set a flag or kick the data to a seperate file if the fields do not match.

Does your state allow for some sort of HOMESTEAD or DOMICILE exemption? If so, is this data present in your file? You could just search on “HOMESTEAD” = [[BLANK]]. This is somewhat reliable but I’ve seen the addresses match and no HOMESTEAD, and I’ve seen where there is HOMESTEAD and the addresses don’t match. Go figure.

This may be more reliable than the zip comparison method though, because a lot of landlords like to stay close to their properties, often in the same zip. That might be more handy for comparing site STATE and mailing STATE. Out of staters are a good source of don’t wanters.

For the address comparison, I’d rather try to use the house number or street name or both to parse out absentee owners.

Anyhow, if you can cobble together a few hundred records of all variations and package them, I’d be interested to see if ACT! or Access, or Approach could sort them out.

import · April 12, 2004, 6:08pm

Re: software for absentee owners - Posted by Randy (SD)

Posted by Randy (SD) on April 12, 2004 at 18:08:46:

I have a solution, it would involve each ZIP code separately. Take your primary target ZIP code 12345 set the first filter property zip code equals 12345, set the second filter AND owner mailing ZIP code does not equal 12345. Unfortunately if you have multiple zip codes in your database you will have to apply this filter to each ZIP code, personally I would create a third field called “out-of-state owners” when you have filtered a particular ZIP code change over to the “list view” and select all of those records… voila your filtered your database with out-of-state owners.

import · April 13, 2004, 10:46pm

Re: software for absentee owners - Posted by Tom-FL

Posted by Tom-FL on April 13, 2004 at 22:46:30:

Well, if you are happy with out of state owners instead of all absentee owners, then just set your software to “MAILING_STATE NOT (yourstate)”.

import · April 12, 2004, 7:46pm

Re: software for absentee owners - Posted by tlm

Posted by tlm on April 12, 2004 at 19:46:49:

Thanks for the suggestion. I guess I thought investors did this sort of thing all the time and had a particular program they preferred. I’ll go try out your suggestion, though. Thanks again!