How the Google Health Model Can Change Real Estate Documentation
May 19, 2008 – 2:22 pmI just wrote about Google Health on my health blog, and I see some similarities with the organization of our own health documents and the organization of our own real estate documents.
For Google Health, Google wants to:
- Organize your health information all in one place
- Gather your medical records from doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies
- Keep your doctors up to date about your health
- Be more informed about important health issues
Why can’t Google also do this for Real Estate?
In terms of documentation, my last purchase of a home was just like the first. During closing I had to go through hundreds of pages and sign my name many times. When I left, I got a handshake, a box of chocolates from my agent and 10lbs worth of paper documents.
Now I am not an organized guy, that is just not what I am good at. I go home, throw the documents in a bin called “real estate” and call it a day.
Months later, my accountant asks for purchase price, date of purchase, down payment, taxes, mortgage payments, etc. I have to then go through my ‘real estate bin’ and find this information.
During the same time, my property manager asks what the limitations are in regards to the size and number of dogs allowed. I then have to go into the ‘real estate bin’ and look for the “HOA - rules and regulations”.
Two months later, my mortgage company writes me a letter and asks I send proof of insurance from the HOA. Again, I have to go to the ‘real estate bin’ and find this information.
Why can’t this be easier?
Why can’t, at closing, have all my closing documents uploaded to Google Real Estate?
Why can’t, when getting approved for my mortgage, have these documents uploaded to Google Real Estate?
Why can’t, when asked anything about the property, be able to make a quick search for any text in the documents?
Why can’t, I have control of my own real estate documents?
