Holiday Savings on Colorado Real Estate Contracts

by BULL Forms in Real Estate with No comments

Holiday Seasons Savings – Promotion Closed!

Wow! The response thus far has been amazing. We were told our timeframe was too short to sign up, so we extended it! You now have an additional 24 hours to signup for these amazing savings!

The promotion is now closed.  What amazing reception! Please be sure to follow us on twitter and Facebook. If you missed out on this promotion be on the lookout for upcoming promotions!

We always feel grateful during this time of the year, but given the exceptional reception we have received in Colorado we are feeling a bit more grateful than usual. As a token of our appreciation, we are offering an annual subscription to BULL Forms Colorado at a discounted price of $79.99. That is a 33% savings for signing up before Monday December 12 5:00 PM Tuesday December 13 5:00 PM. Use the code HOHOHO at checkout. Act quickly! This pricing is only available until Monday.

Signing up is easy, see how here.

BULL Forms makes everything easy!

  • Can I sign up online?
  • Can I cancel at anytime?
  • I get all of these features for no additional cost?

These are the questions asked most frequently by individuals interested in signing up for our product, and the answer to all of them is YES!

There is an easier way to create all of your Colorado contracts and have them e-signed – BULL Forms Colorado.

What other’s are saying about BULL Forms

“I signed up online, created my contracts and sent them out for e-signatures within 10 minutes! Thank you for saving me so much time!”

“What I especially like about BULL Forms is the time it saves me. A form that took me 20 – 30 minutes to create on RealFast now takes me about 5.”

“Compared to CTM the learning curve is quick and easy and I’m always learning new features. Signing is a dream and I like that I can decide when I want initials and / or signatures.”

We are making life easier for Colorado Real Estate Professionals, but don’t take our word for it, take a look at some of our recent agent spotlights here.

Happy Holidays from BULL Forms!

DORA Contracts E-signatures Explained Part I

by BULL Forms in E-signature, Features, Tutorials with 1 Comment

DORA Contracts E-Signature

We recently launched an updated e-signature function to assist you in e-signing your Colorado Real Estate Commission Forms.  While the functionality is much more robust, to take advantage of all the features it might help to have them explained in detail for you.  This is part I in our series explaining the features of our e-sign feature.

The E-signature Control Panel

The e-signature control panel is where the “magic happens,” from here you can control all aspects of your DORA e-signature transactions.  Pictured below is a screen shot of the first screen you will see when you enter the control panel.

Colorado Real Estate Commission Forms DORA Contracts E-signature Control Panel

There are four tabs near the top of the screen, as highlighed in the screenshot.

1. Pending transactions:  All of the documents that you have sent out for e-signatures will be listed here until all parties in the transaction have signed the document.

2. Completed transactions: all transactions in which all parties have signed will be listed here.

3. Canceled transactions: all transactions that were canceled at any point during the signature process will be listed in this tab.

4. My documents: all of the documents that you have sent out for e-signatures and have chosen to save for use at a later time will be listed in this tab.

Working with transactions

BULL Forms Colorado Real Estate Commission DORA e-signature pending transactions

From within the pending transactions tab you will see all of your DORA Contracts that are currently pending e-signature in the area highlighted above.

If you wanted to check on the status of one of your pending transactions, you can retrieve more information by clicking on the blue triangle to the left of the transaction name.

BULL Forms Colorado DORA Forms e-signatures triangle

Once you click on the triangle the current status of the transaction will be displayed, as illustrated below:

BULL Forms Colorado DORA Forms esignatures expanded

In the expanded view you will see all of the participants in the transaction and if they have signed the document and the time they signed the document.

Available Functions

  • View PDF: Clicking on the view PDF button will open the document for viewing. You will see all of the signatures placed on the document as well as the transaction log, which is appended to the last page of the document.
  • Edit Transaction: Clicking on the edit transaction button will open the advanced e-signature panel, where you can add parties and place signatures.
  • Cancel: This button will cancel the entire transaction.  Only the party that is currently inline for signatures will be notified of the cancellation.
  • Edit Email: Next to the party’s email address there is an edit link, clicking on it will give you the ability to update the party’s name and email address.
  • Resend Email: Clicking on this button will resend the e-signature email to the party, this email includes the link that the party will need to click on to sign the documents.
That is all for now.  Please be sure to follow us on twitter and Facebook.

10 Tips for Selling Vacation Homes in Colorado

by BULL Forms in Real Estate with No comments

Tips for Selling Vacation Homes in Colorado

Tips for Selling Vacation Homes in Colorado

photo by Lena

Selling vacation homes in Colorado requires careful planning in order to ensure that the property sells quickly for the highest possible price. To successfully achieve this, it is essential that the property stands out from all others on the market. Here are 10 tips for selling vacation homes in Colorado to assist in a quick sale:

Tip #1 of Tips for Selling Vacation Homes in Colorado:  Buyer’s Perspective

It’s important to take a step back from a much-loved property and view it as a potential buyer might see it. Ensure that the home is viewed with a critical and objective eye in order to see things that need to be changed, fixed or improved upon. Looking at things from the buyer’s perspective is one of the best tips for selling your home.

Tip #2 of Tips for Selling Vacation Homes in Colorado: De-personalize

When a potential buyer visits, it’s important that they can see themselves in the house. Many will already be imagining how their furniture will look, where they can put their photographs and so on. With this in mind, ensure that they can view the property as a ‘blank canvas’. If rooms are full of your personal belongings, photographs and clutter, it will be impossible for a viewer to imagine themselves in that setting.

Tip #3: De-clutter

Work on clearing things out – don’t simply shove clutter into cupboards. Be ruthless in throwing things away as viewers will obviously look into cupboards and storage spaces. Imagine a potential buyer who’s in love with your property opening a closet only to have ten-year-old fishing equipment fall on their head. These tips for selling your home are important to apply to all areas of the property.

Tip #4: Local Knowledge

Be enthusiastic and prepared to offer plenty of useful information on the local area and available services. Remember that buyers are looking for a vacation spot so it’s important that it sounds as attractive as possible. Mention how good the food is at a local restaurant and talk about how many activities can be enjoyed at the lake down the road. If there is a rental program, mention it.

Tip #5: Fixtures and Fittings

Put any furniture or fittings you do not want included in the sale into storage – this will stop viewers from falling in love with something and experiencing disappointment when they realize it doesn’t come with the property. Similarly, mention anything that you’re willing to leave.

Tip #6: Essential Repairs

Ensure that all repairs are carried out before placing the home for sale. This is essential to listing any property and, in particular, for selling vacation homes in Colorado. Sales can be held up if the house fails inspection, which is easy to prevent in many cases.

Tip #7: Clean & Fresh

Make sure that the homes are sparkling clean when selling vacation homes in Colorado. Hire professional cleaners if necessary and make sure the home smells fresh and inviting at all times.

Tip #8: Curb Appeal

Curb appeal can make the buyer feel instantly welcome or put off before even stepping foot inside the house.  Ensure that the exterior paint is fresh, the flowerbeds are weeded and the lawn is freshly cut to make potential buyers see the beautiful of the home.

Tip #9: Natural Beauty

The natural beauty of Colorado can make it easier to sell a vacation home.  This is our 9th of the tips to sell your vacation homes in Colorado.  Ensure that you add emphasis to the mountains, lakes and areas that surround the property.  Many of these treasured places may be tucked away and not well known about.  Buyers can easily fall in love with a home and area if you share these local treasures with them.

Tip #10: Aesthetics

A home’s overall aesthetic appeal can make or break a sale when selling vacation homes in Colorado. The general design and flow of a house is what can help to see it as a home. Use a neutral palette in your décor and add touches of color with natural items such as cut flowers.

Remember to follow us on twitter if you want to stay up to date on other tips for selling vacation homes in Colorado.

If you know of any tips for selling vacation homes in Colorado please feel free to add them in the comments.

 

Showing Colorado Real Estate in the Snow

by BULL Forms in Real Estate with No comments

Showing Colorado Real Estate In The Snow

The three most important things when considering the value of real estate are location, location and location! What should you do when you’re trying to sell a piece of real estate located in an area constantly buried by snow? Often, Colorado real estate endures between 50 and 150 inches of snowfall per year, which can make selling real estate a risky business. Luckily, a few simple tricks can turn the pesky snow into a much appreciated ally.

Clear a Pathway

Shovel or clear the walkway that leads up to the building with a snow blower. The idea is to make the property look cleaner than the rest. When the piece of real estate on the market appears cleaner and better kept than the rest of the neighborhood, it gives potential buyers the impression that the building is of value. A clean walkway also decreases the chances of immediate rejection. If a potential buyer has to walk through mounds of snow, they are more likely to lose interest in purchasing the property because it gives the impression that the property is dirty and requires a lot of maintenance. Once the pathway is cleared, sprinkle it with salt or a de-icing product to prevent the build up of ice.

Remove Excess Snow

Remove snow from any roof, section of gutters, patio, balcony, deck or porch. The idea of showing real estate to potential buyers is to show the actual real estate, not how much snow it can hold. Clearing excess snow allows potential buyers in the Colorado real estate market to see the property clearly, which is a big selling point. Removing excess snow is also a safety precaution because falling snow or ice can injure a buyer and open up an unwanted legal can of worms.

Protect the Floor

Lay plastic or runners, which are small rugs, on the carpeting near the entrance way of the building. Shoes that are wet and dirty from the snow may track filth onto the carpeting. Dirty carpet is something that no buyer in the Colorado real estate market wants to see. Clean carpets present potential buyers with the image of a clean property. If the carpets do get dirty, have them professionally cleaned immediately.

Turn on the Heat

Turn on the furnace and warm the property so it is a comfortable temperature. If the property doesn’t have a furnace or an electric heating system, purchase space heaters and place one in each room of the property. The last thing potential buyers want in Colorado real estate is a cold building. Providing a warm environment for potential buyers not only encourages them to stay and look at the property without rushing through it, but it also gives them a sense of comfort when they walk in from the cold. The comfort associated with the property just might be the tipping point that gets them to put an offer on the property.

The Colorado real estate market is unlike any other in the United States. Constant snowfall and winter-like conditions may make it seem difficult to sell real estate in Colorado, but removing snow and maintaining the property will prevent potential buyers from being deterred by the snow.

Looking for a Colorado Real Estate Form Solution.  Give us a try.

November Agent Spotlight – Debra Christensen

by BULL Forms in Agent Spotlight with No comments

Introduction

It has been a while since our last agent spotlight, and we have improved our product drastically over the course of the past 3 months thanks to feedback from our users. Please keep giving us your feedback here. Let’s dive right into the next edition of our agent spotlight:

BULL-Forms-Colorado-DORA-Christensen

Name: Debra Christensen

Company: Keller Williams Foothills Realty

Website: www.DebChristensen.com

If you don’t already, please follow us on twitter and like us on facebook!

How Long Have you been in Real Estate?

6 Years

What areas of Colorado / Type of Property do you specialize in?

I specialize in the Foothills of Denver – Evergreen, Conifer, Pine, Bailey, Morrison, Genesee – I-70 and the 285 corridor.  I have earned the ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative designation and the CMAS (Certified Mountain Area Specialist) and feel very strongly that if you’re looking to buy and/or sell in the Mountains, you should use a Mountain Specialist.  We know the questions to ask.

What other real estate contract software did you use before switching to bull forms?

I’ve used RealFast, QES, Metrolist’s Instanet and tried CTM econtracts before finding Bull Forms.  I’m not changing again – love this product!

Tell us how BULL Forms has helped you in your day to day business

I decided to go with electronic contracts when I was in a situation where we had to get an inspection notice and Amend/Extend delivered and I had another appointment looming. I had to rush home, boot up my computer, quickly write the documents, email them to my client who had to print them out, scan them in page by page, email them back to me to deliver to the agent on time.

Bull Forms is so easy! I can access it on my Droid phone, my Tablet and any computer when I’m with clients. Clients love it, the learning curve is fast and fun.

What are your favorite features of BULL Forms?

Love that I can write as much as I need to, that my clients name can be (almost) as long as it needs to be. (Don’t know why i work with so many Trusts and Estates??). Compared to CTM the learning curve is quick and easy and I’m always learning new features. Signing is a dream and I like that I can decide where and when I want initials and/or signatures.

My company has it’s own econtract system and I’m trying to learn it, but it is so not as easy as Bull Forms. I like that I can add my own documents.

What issues have you had using BULL Forms?

1. Would like the Seller’s Property Disclosure be an open form where clients can check their own boxes. I am not allowed to fill this out or help them with it, so I have to go back to the old system and make them fill it out by hand and get it back to me.

BULL Forms Comment: We are in the process of adding this functionality. Hopefully it will be launched within the next few weeks!

2. I’ve experienced difficulty with scanning a document in and the file is too large with my scanner at home, so I’ve had to go to the office to scan it. Sure this is my fault, I’ll figure it out.

3. For some reason, the auto populate still isn’t working right with my contact information (office, name, phone, etc). I have to really check each form-switching form views, and sometimes don’t realize that it’s been placed incorrectly before I get to signatures, then have to go back and correct it and start the signature process again. I would like my information visible on the Auto Populate form, so I can make sure it is correct.

BULL Forms Comment: We apologize for this issue as it is unacceptable.  We will do everything in our power to ensure this feature is working properly.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE NOT SELLING REAL ESTATE? WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES?

I play the piano and accompany the high school group at our local theatre: StageDoor Theatre in Conifer. Currently we’re performing “Hello Dollly”.

WHAT OTHER ONLINE APPLICATIONS OUTSIDE OF FORMS WOULD YOU FIND HELPFUL IN YOUR DAY TO DAY LIFE OR BUSINESS?

My sister-in-law is a graphic designer and very envious of me with these electronic contracts! She wants a easy application for her contracts!

BULL Forms Comment: Just as an FYI, we launched our full featured e-signature solution here.

We would like to thank Debra for taking time out of her busy schedule to chat with us. If you are interested in signing up, please do so here.

 

Cheers,

-BULL Forms Support

Switching from RealFast for DORA Contracts

by BULL Forms in Tutorials with No comments

August 1 2011 RealFast announced that it was acquired by ZipLogix.  For many Colorado Real Estate professionals, this meant it was time to look for a new provider of DORA Colorado Real Estate Contracts.  Change is difficult, especially if you have been using RealFast for an extended period of time and you have built up a large library of transactions.

Here at BULL Forms we are doing our best to ensure a smooth transition to our new users coming over from RealFast.  This guide will assist you in copying over your existing transactions to BULL Forms.  With unlimited storage included with each paying subscription there is no need to worry about uploading too many documents!

Migrating Documents from RealFast2Go

Once you have logged into your realfast2go account, navigate to a transaction that you would like to export.  Click on the create pdf link near the bottom lefthand side of the page, highlighted in yellow below:

Switch from RealFast to BULL Forms For DORA Forms Create PDF

Next, check each of the documents you would like to export into PDF format, again, highlighted in yellow below:

Switch from RealFast to BULL Forms Colorado for DORA Forms Export your PDFs

Almost there! Next you have to select the location where the PDF files will be saved. Enter the output directory into the location highlighted below.  Make sure that you select any easy to remember and easily accessible location.

Switch from RealFast to BULL Forms Colorado Save File

Final step in the export process, click on the create PDF button highlighted below:

Switch from RealFast to BULL Forms Colorado Create PDF

Repeat this process for all of the transactions you would like to import into BULL Forms and you can now start importing your transactions.

Importing transactions into BULL Forms

Now you are ready to import your PDF documents into BULL Forms.  Start by creating a new deal for all of the forms you are going to import.  Click on create new deal near the left hand side.

BULL Forms Colorado Create New Deal

You will be prompted to choose a deal name:

BULL Forms Colorado Select Deal Name

Once you have created the deal, click on the files icon for the deal, as highlighted in yellow below:

BULL Forms Colorado Files

After clicking on the file icon you will enter the file management window.  You can create a folder, or upload all of your documents anywhere you choose.  Click on the upload link:

BULL Forms Colorado Upload Files

From the upload window you can upload multiple files at a time, navigate to the location where you saved your RealFast documents and click on the upload button.

BULL Forms Colorado Upload Files ModalFor more information on our file storage functionality, please read this previous blog post.

If you need assistance transferring previous transactions please contact us here.

Cheers,

BULL Forms!

Colorado Real Estate Contracts in Color

by BULL Forms in Features with No comments

If you have not checked out some of our other new features, please do so by clicking here.

The information you input into DORA Colorado Real Estate Contracts now shows up  in the color of your choosing!

As usual, our users have continued to provide us with invaluable feedback. Another frequently requested feature was the ability to complete DORA Colorado Real Estate contracts with different color fonts to differentiate the agent generated information from the information on the standard real estate contract.

Good news as BULL Forms now supports this feature.  Let’s take a look at how you can set your account to print DORA Colorado Contracts in different color fonts.

First, login to your dashboard, and click on the preferences tab:

Once on the preference tab, scroll down to the bottom of the page:

As you can see, you have the option of the default black text, or you can opt for Blue or Red font colors.  Once you have made a change, click on the update button.  Moving forward all of the information you add to the DORA Colorado Real Estate Contracts will appear in the color you selected.

If you don’t already, please follow us on twitter.

If you have any other questions, please contact us via our contact form.

DORA Contracts Clause Library

by BULL Forms in Features, Tutorials with 2 Comments

We have been busy introducing new features lately, check out our unlimited additional provisions and if you don’t already, please follow us on twitter.

New Clause Library Feature for Colorado DORA Forms

As of last week BULL Forms Colorado has had a clause library available for all DORA Colorado Contracts. As with most features, we try to make them as easy to use as possible. Let’s take a brief walkthrough of the feature.

You can use the clause library to insert your favorite clauses in any field where you see the green + next to field label, like this one;

DORA Colorado Contracts Clause Library Icon

When you click on the green + button, the clause library will open:

DORA Colorado Contracts Clause Library Main Window

From within this window you can create, edit, delete and insert clauses into your DORA Colorado Contracts.  To add a new clause click on the add new button near the top right corner of the window:

DORA Colorado Contracts Clause Library Add New

When adding a new clause, you select a title for your clause and enter as much text as you like into the content.  If you are inserting a long clause into a small field the text will cut off, so please ensure you pay attention where you are inserting your clauses.

DORA Colorado Contracts Clause Library Add New View

Once the new clause is added it will appear in your main clause library window.  When you are ready to insert a clause into the DORA Colorado Contract, select the clause you would like to insert and click on the “insert clause” button as illustrated below:

DORA Colorado Contracts Clause Library Insert

The clause will automatically be inserted into the field.  If there is text currently in the field, the inserted clause is appended to the end of the current text.

DORA Colorado Contracts Clause Inserted

Thank you,

BULL Forms Team

Unlimited Additional Provisions for DORA Contracts

by BULL Forms in Features, Forms with 1 Comment

Additional Provisions for DORA Contracts

If you don’t already, please follow us on twitter!

During our short time of existence one of the most frequently requested features was for more space in the additional provisions field in many of the DORA contracts.  When BULL Forms Colorado initially launched we only had about 250 characters of space in many of the DORA contracts.  We quickly discovered that this was not even close to enough space.

While we have made incremental improvements to the size of the additional provisions fields for the DORA contracts, it was never quite enough.  While on the phone with some of our users they indicated they sometimes included up to three pages of additional provisions.

Upgraded Additional Provisions

We currently are supporting unlimited additional provisions in all of the DORA Sales Contracts.  There is no change to the end user, there are just no longer any restrictions on the amount of information that can be input into these fields.

Here is a preview of the additional provisions field in our “easy view”

Additional Provisions on DORA Contracts

and here is the field in our classic view:

For the purpose of illustration we are going to insert some of our favorite developer text into the field (Lorem Ipsum).

Easy View:

DORA Forms Additional Provisions Filled In

Classic View:

DORA Forms Additional Provisions Filled In

When we print the contract BULL Forms Colorado will automatically calculate the additional pages required to fit all of the additional provisions you enter into your DORA contracts.

DORA Contracts Additional Provisions PDF

Thank you,

BULL Forms Team

Don’t forget you can also e-sign all of your DORA Contracts!

DORA Colorado Contracts E-signature Version 2.0

by BULL Forms in E-signature, Features with 1 Comment

We are excited to announce that we have launched an upgraded version of our e-signature feature for DORA contracts.  In addition to being able to upload any PDF documents and send them out for signature you also have much more control over the entire e-signature process.  DORA Colorado contracts still have all of the signature and initial locations pre-mapped, so you do not have to spend any time configuring the locations. Please check out our introductory video below:

Thank you, BULL Forms Team

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