Some people here have told me I need to get into the 21st century with modern communications technology,..like using a smart phone instead of an ancient flip phone! (I love my flip phone).

In the last 3 days, I have made a 'serious attempt' to take advantage of modern technology by e-mailing my 4-page lease to some one (a future tenant) who lives in my own state but 3 hours away. I took my 4-page paper lease and scanned it using my HP office scanner, converted everything to TIFF files (which any computer can open?) and e-mailed this to my future tenant. She is 21 years old and it seems she has never owned a desktop computer (I thought everyone had a desktop computer). She gets everything via a Smart phone, a device I know nothing about. She can "see" my Lease on her Smart Phone but can't do anything with it. I need her to sign my lease, scan it (like I did) and e-mail it back to me.

Since I predicted a modern communications snafu like this would happen,...I snail mailed her my 4 page lease (same one that I scanned). She is signing that now and will be snail mailing it back to me. I should have it on Friday.

Homer,

Fax it back? I have not used a fax machine since the 1980's,...talk about ancient last century technology!!

Haha, whenever I have to do an electronic signature on a pdf, I open it up in Photoshop on my desktop. :P (Hint: I'm still on Photoshop 6, from 2000, so yes, I'm part of the dinosaur club, too...)

Download the official Adobe app. It can read, fill, sign, scan pdfs. Have your prospective tenant do the same.

The documents can be stored in the cloud or emailed, etc.

I'm not techie, but my real estate agent emails me documents that I sign digitally and I email them back. So there is a way to do it.

As others have said, PDF is the document format that has emerged as the most versatile and flexible. My scanner will create PDFs, and most software packages (i.e. Microsoft Office, Open Office) can Export a document to PDF format.

TIFF (tagged image file format) is older, bulkier tech. Yes, my new Windows 10 PC can use them, but my smart phone (Android) can't open them. You also can't alter them (type answer, create signatures). PDF can do all of those and is a much smaller size file too.

Roy,

Most Millenials and younger do not have printers either.

The other problem is them being able to open an attachment. They'll say "Sure I can" but MANY don't have the program or app to do it.

A digital signature con be had thru DocuSign, or JotNot Signature (an app for your phone).

She can have someone print it, she signs it, take a pic with her phone and text or email that pic back to you.

They can also do this with their pay stubs and driver's license - email a phone pic.

BRAD

Indeed as noted, it's best to use Docusign and any other similar software. Also, if you do want to send a PDF as wisely noted by #22 and S i d, you might opt to use a lower resolution less than 600 dpi so that your file size won't exceed 10M which is a limit for some mail programs. Anyway, you can experiment your resolution and file size to adjust whatever dpi settings look the best.

If my prospect is low tech, I provide them papercopy, I can scan with my iphone and immediately get PDF copy.

I have a virtual fax number, they can fax to me and it gets emailed to me.

I can email application/lease in PDF format through my phone (the actual documents are stored on my dropbox, cloud)

I can run their background on my phone (credit check and criminal background)

PDF is the acronym for -portable document file- and most everything can read it - then what? As mentioned it can be printed at an office store for a few bux - signed then scanned and emailed back to you, you could do this in Northern Afrika, Schezun Poland, or right around the corner - the bug-a-boo I see is how do you determine you have the correct person at the pen? The other thing is I go over my lease with the tenant and they have to initial 2 or 3 things on each page like they know the dish tv thing goes on a pole or we cut it off and put it near the back door so they have to get it installed correctly, lawn parking is a no-no, they pay the water bill in the next rent cycle, damages get paid in the next rent cycle and so on, electronic stuff is cute but in my area for this purpose it will not hold in court.

I am old school and they do it my way or they don't do it.

the "new fangled" stuff just isn't efficient ... no matter what they say. People spending $300,000 to buy a house show up at closing not understanding their figures ... because they are attempting to scroll those little numbers across the screen on the phone and can't see the entire document at once.

had a lady last week throwing a fit about her loan amount. Said she hasn't seen it yet... and we were at closing. I told her that she did ... if she hadn't clicked on her computer that she reviewed everything, I wouldn't have been able to access and print her loan docs. Nope, she didn't ... she would prove it. started scrolling through countless e-mails on her phone. I told her to go back 3 or 4 days only. she finally shoved the phone at me and said it wasn't there. I read through the cover letter that she had on the screen and showed her that following by scrolling were 100 pages of loan docs for her review. on a desk top, she'd have been able to see that she was on page 1 of 100.

Charlie, Lad, a computer is a machine which can help you count potatoes.

Of coarse the flip phone is best. How else can you walk briskly, stop. Reach for your phone, flip it open as the wind tuffles your hair, raise your strong chin and speak these works. "Scotty, I need more power....and I need it now. Give me warp factor 5".

I believe a little testing and practice is needed. If the PDF lease (Please-Don't-Flush Lease) doesn't work with the smart phone then plan on using the cloud.

Meaning drop box or google docs will hold the document and your teni will be able to view it. I believe they will be able to modify it until your restrict them. So you will have control over that.

I send my leases out in WORD form. I could care less if somebody tries to change the lease. When we meet to sign I normally have printed and they sign my copies. If they print it, I glance at the lease and try to spot if something has been changed. In my market I don't need to really worry.

So, what I'm saying is try the process again and you will find a way it works.

I say keep the flip phone. How many other things did Flip Wilson have named after him? I use my three computer monitors with two computers. I don't want to try and use a smart phone.

I use EchoSign to send out leases electronically (it's now Adobe something or other). I have converted all of my forms to PDFs so all I have to do is tab & fill to prep a lease package.

Then I upload it to EchoSign & send it out via email for electronic signatures. Each leaseholder signs, I sign & everyone receives a signed copy.

Docusign is a good app to use. DotLoop is also another one.

I don't sign in person any longer. And I've had tenants of all ages be able to sign electronically whether they are on a tablet, phone or computer.

Smokowna: Why send in Word format? Lots of people can't open that without downloading yet another app. Also, the app will often auto-adjust the formatting to make it difficult to read.

Simply use Word's feature to save it as a PDF and send them that -- so that it continues to look how you intended when you made it.

I agree with the rest of what you said. I just hate it when people send Word documents around to people since it always causes problems. It's a horrible format to share something with others unless you WANT them to edit it (and, even then, it's a fairly poor choice most of the time).

- John...

AllyM: Just so you know, an Apple Watch requires an Apple iPhone to go with it. (It can be used a bit on it's own -- but you'll still need an iPhone to set it up initially and you'll need an iPhone if you want to make phone calls with it like you suggested.)

So, your $300 purchase just turned into a $1000 purchase depending on the iPhone that you get. :)

- John...

Smoke, Instead of Warp Factor 5, I like to flip my phone and say "Kirk here,..beam me up Scotty" And quick too since I need to take a dump.

More seriously, most of the people that I know (not you all) that have Smart Phones can't do anything more than browse the Internet, play stupid games (Farmville?) and take photos with their high tech $600.00 I-Mac or whatever phone Apple or Walmart sells.

I never realized that smart phones had trouble with WORD files. I can try and use the PDF format.

As for smart phones. I think they are cool however they can't replace a keyboard for typing and multiple large screens for getting work done. For ordering a pizza or checking searching ebay they are the cat's meow.

I need piece and quiet in order to get something done. It is nice to leave home and not have WiFI till I reach the first shack. I now have one or two tablets which travel with me. Too much Internet and I'll never get anything done.

Does you new tenant have an issue with the file format? Or just no idea how to sign and return a document using their phone? I agree PDF is probably the best bet. Then, your tenant can figure out if they want to use an app to sign and return by email or if they want to print a copy, sign it, scan it, and email it back.

Kyle (IN)

File format (Tiff) is not the problem in this situation, however, in the future I will start using a PDF instead. Last Monday the payment was made using direct deposit (we both use the same bank which made this electronic transfer easy).

This is 100% a customer service issue. If you want to make it easy for your customers (tenants), you have a good bit of work to do. If you want to make it easy for you, just keep doing what you're doing.

The best way to go is, as some have mentioned, use DocuSign or similar. Then the customer can electronically sign the document right on their phone OR computer without load any new apps or anything else. If they want to print it, fine. If not, fine. Easy for them. High learning curve for you.

You decide.

By the way, Roy, I am in IT, and have been for more than 35 years. All the way back to the punch card days. It gets very tiresome being called "geek", nerd, etc. (The original definition of geek is a circus wildman who bites the heads off of chickens and similar feats.)

That stuff is just name calling by those with inferiority complexes.

Thanks Steve (TN)

Steve,

My apologies,...I did NOT realize that 'geek' was an offensive word. I first heard that word back in 1983, long before I even knew what a computer was.

Smokowna: Agreed absolutely! If I want to quick check something or waste some time standing in line someplace, then my phone is great. But if I actually want to get something DONE, then give me my dual-monitor home setup or my tri-monitor work setup! :)

- John...

Part of the problem is the TIFF file. Not every device can open them and on a smartphone they will be difficult to work with.

You do need to use a PDF since it is the universal document that can be opened on any type of device and it is usually one of the apps automatically included by every manufacturer.

I assume you do not have Acrobat. You can get a free PDF creator at sodapdf.com. It can convert any document into a PDF. Once you download the software you select which docs on your PC you want to convert and then save it as a PDF on your device.

Today faxing - yes it still exists - is done digitally. I recommend Hellofax. You upload your PDF to Hellofax and send the doc to the tenants email. They can open it on any device. Hellofax also has a digital signature capability (digital signatures are legal). Tenant signs and returns via email.

Every legal document I send to tenants or buyers is done digitally. Some of the benefits is we both get copies for our records. In my case they need to be kept for 7 years. They are automatically encrypted and cannot be changed. And if you are dealing with a younger clientele it is the only way they want to work.

Troglodyte is a cave-dweller.

Geek has its roots in the German "geck" (fool/simpleton) or the Dutch "gek" (mad/silly). It was mainly a pejorative term for people who were actively using it from the days of sideshows through WWII/Korea. So people whose formative years were developed during that time would have preserved the negative connotations around the word (ie, William Henry Gresham, who was born in 1909, using the term unfavorably in 1946; or Arthur H Lewis, born in 1906 and using the term unfavorably in 1970) but by the time you hit the early 80's through early 90's, it had lost its meaning of "fool/simpleton/crazy" and had gained the meaning of "people with awkward social manners who are enthused about technology and computers".

"Geek" started to lose its negative connotations about social awkwardness and just kept its "enthusiast" connotations once those kids from the 80's and the 90's started growing up and turning into gazillionaires like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Or when they turned into your boss. Or whatever. Computer technology was a rapidly evolving field, and being up-to-date on the latest and greatest in coding or software became extremely lucrative.

Slumlord is taken. For that mater Dumb Slumblord is mine also.

I have taken to asking future teni how they want to do things. In the case of a lease I require it be sent via email because the lease carries with it Lead info attachments. The lease also has a link to said lead info.

There is another state mandated form that also is emailed.

I'm basically hiding behind what the state told me was required and insisting on email.

I do offer a few methods of payment based on what teni like.

I'm the one who needs to type out the lease, they just sign. So I require the computer keyboard to make my job faster.

I'm open to variations but with a bias to my time.

To Vee's point regarding initials and signature. Digital signature software walks you through the document you select where you need initials and where you need a signature. When the recipient receives it the digital software automatically takes them to the space and they just need to touch the screen (or use a mouse) and it will place their signature there.

As for security. Digital signatures can be used to authenticate the source of messages. When ownership of a digital signature secret key is bound to a specific user, a valid signature shows that the message was sent by that user. The secret key prevents signers from denying having signed which is why courts recognize the validity of digital signatures.

Roy, there is NO end to the changes in technology and the learning curve that goes with them. And it is accelerating. Tech makes some things easier, but often at the expense of making other things harder. But it also sometimes makes things possible that were impossible before.

To me, the most useful inventions I've seen in my lifetime are:

1. VCR. Of course, it's time came and is now long gone.

2. Pay for gasoline at the pump. Still with us today!

3. Cars that go 100,000+ miles before they become troublesome.

4. Smartphones. Radio, TV, typewriter, telephone, and much of the collective knowledge of mankind in my pocket. And even many poor people can afford it. Truly astounding.

As a full time computer geek in IT for the past 25+ years, I can say that I don't mind the "geek" title at all. Sure, when I was in high school at age 14, it bothered me. But things are a lot different for such people now than then.

I'm not a fan of "nerd" -- but I haven't seen "computer geek" as derogatory for well over a decade now...

Just my 2c.

- John...

I'm a House Geek, Renting Nerd

I'm a House Geek, Renting Nerd

slow and steady wins the race Roy. We all remember the joy of the flip phone and the certainty of the call being ended with the closing.

the PDF format is a better bet and is universal. a sheet fed scanner/copier/laser printer is about $100. treat yourself to it. laser toner cart's are on Amazon for less than $20. i buy them two at a time and am never stranded. laser is WAY cheaper than inkjet. WAY!

electronic signatures are great for interim documents after the tenants take residency. Docusign works best for me, i've used several of them. annoyingly, some folks have no printer.

unlike some here i like to personally walk my tenants through the lease and make them shake their head yes that they clearly understand me that rent is due on the first and late on the second. the lease signing is one of my "tenants tossing around" events...toss 'em around early and often, or they will do the tossing.

and i completely disagree with Nicole PA about the newfangled remark...the ability to send a photo in seconds saves much time and let's me deal with emergencies often without a visit. recently a gal called and told me their lights were not working. i asked if she had reset the breaker and she said "of course". when she sent a pic i saw that it was in the tripped position, which is not the off position, and advised her to click the breaker to off first and THEN to on. she didn't know that you need reset to off first. small thing but it was easy ONLY due to the pic she sent. not everyone knows how to do stuff...

i have been using SmallPDF.com to split and combine PDF's and it's a real time saver. they recently added a desktop version which i have used as well. it's free but SO USEFUL i sent them a few bucks.

good luck on the tech Roy...lot's of help here from those who are knee deep in it daily

so to recap, no geeks needed, you got us...

Adobe Acrobat

Docusign

SmallPDF.com

OpenOffice.org

I also use a real digital camera with an SD card for the move in and out pics...the phone pics are less good i find but that is PURELY a personal thing