If you’re a real estate broker in the Hawkeye State, you are required to retain your records for a period of five (5) years according to the Iowa Professional Licensing Bureau

We found the Administrative Rules (Chapter 193E for Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons) which clearly outlines the rules that pertain to record retention. Review the Iowa Real Estate Commission Rules in this PDF document and scroll down to page 71 for Rule 193E-13.5(543B).

In summary, every broker must retain, for a period of at least five years, true copies of all:

• business books
• accounts, including voided checks;
• records;
• contracts;
• closing statements;
• disclosures;
• signed documents;
• the listing;
• any offers to purchase;
• and all correspondence relating to each real estate transaction that the broker has handled and each property managed.

The files, records, and other documents required by this chapter may be stored in electronic format for convenience and efficiency in a system for electronic record storage, analysis, and retrieval. Given that’s the case, then Filetwin is a great solution because we specialize in online backup for regulated businesses.

A.    A record required by this chapter may be retained as an electronic record only if the record storage medium can be easily accessed and the records can be readily retrieved and transferred to a legible printed form upon request.

B.    The scanning or electronic generation of a record must be monitored to ensure that the copy is clear, legible and true before the original is destroyed.

C.      Once the original record is transferred to the appropriate electronic storage medium, the commission no longer requires the retention of the record in its original medium. If the above process if followed properly, electronic records are considered the same as originals.

The records shall be made available for reproduction and inspection by the commission, staff, and commission authorized representatives at all times during usual business hours at the broker’s regular place of business. Even if the brokerage closes, the records shall be made available for reproduction and inspection by the commission, staff, and commission–authorized representatives upon request for five years.

If you’d like to continue this conversation in person, please feel free to contact one of our Backup Specialists who can answer and compliance related questions at 1 877 310-2884.

  Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011

If you’re reading this blog, either you found it through searching online because you need information about online backup and the companies who provide those services OR you’re doing some comparison shopping because your existing provider isn’t servicing you like you’d like them to.  Either way, we thought the best way to share the virtues of online backup (so you’d stay interested) is through a TOP TEN list.

So, here it goes…

The TOP TEN reasons why you need online backup (drum roll please…………):

Number 10 – You don’t have a strategy for backing up desktops, laptops or servers.

Not backing up the systems in your office opens your business to liabilities and potential huge losses to your reputation and revenue.

Number 9 – Compliance. Compliance. Compliance.

We’ll keep you compliant so you’ll satisfy the intent of any regulation(s).

Number 8 – You don’t have the time to figure out an in-house solution.

There are too many vendors out there offering software solutions. With www.filetwin.com, you get more than software, you get our unmatched service responsiveness and personalized attention.

Number 7 – You just aren’t willing to compromise security for convenience.

Encryption and our managed service guarantees that your backup is completed properly.

Number 6 – You need a backup solution that you don’t have to monitor constantly.

You can request your backups to run daily, weekly or monthly. We offer continuous backup which runs real-time.

Number 5 – Your IT staff and budget are already overextended.

Stop wasting time and money with external drives, stacks of CDs and other traditional backup methods. This allows your in-house IT resources to be productive in revenue generating activities.

Number 4 – You don’t want to pay for something you aren’t using.

You determine how many computers and how much storage you need and that’s what you pay for.

Number 3 – You’re worried about natural disasters.

If you’re concerned about Mother Nature and that she might disrupt you’re business, then securing your data off site is a prudent decision for any business and you’re continuity plan.

Number 2 – You’re over the headaches that come with backing up remote locations and branch offices.

Now you can make sure that your business continuance plan is working throughout your company.

The Number 1 reason why you need online backup is….

Your IT budget is limited and a simple payment plan is easier to cover right now.

With Filetwin, there is no capital investment for hardware, small upfront costs and no administrative overhead to maintain.

We think these are ten (10) pretty good reasons why you should consider online backup and Filetwin. If you’d like to speak with one of our Backup Specialists in person, please contact us at 1 877 310-2884 and we’d be glad to answer any questions you might have.

  Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011

If you’re a real estate broker in Wyoming, you’re required to retain real estate transaction records for seven (7) years according to the Wyoming Real Estate Commission and specifically section 33-28-123.

This seems like a long time to hold onto real estate records for the state that has the lowest population in the U.S. according to the U.S. Census bureau.

Be that as it may, seven (7) years means that traditional storage media just won’t cut it. Google has shown, and we’ve written about it, that traditional storage media is generally only good for five (5) years. Therefore, most states could get away using CDs, hard drives and so forth but we liken this to the analogy of a seatbelt. You can drive a car without your belt on – but you shouldn’t. Same applies here, you could probably get by using the old fashioned methods but it just makes sense when you have the option of online backup.

Here are some top-of-mind reasons why online backup would be good for a broker in Wyoming:

1. It’s automated

2. It stores digital files for as long as you’ll need them without worrying about losing or corrupting the data.

3. It’s cost-effective in comparison to losing your data and falling out of compliance and we offer unlimited storage capacity.

It’s our belief that online backup is the way to go if you’re a broker in Wyoming. Taking everything we know about real estate regulations and record retention into consideration, online data backup covers all bases with a single decision.

If you’re interested in continuing this conversation in person, please feel free to contact us at  1 877 310-2884 and one of our Backup Specialists will be glad to assist you.

  Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011