Investment Property Calculator by Yuquan Shi(or Patrick Shi) - Have you bought? (vs PIA Software)

Discussion in 'Property Information Resources & Tools' started by leonard157, 13th Sep, 2018.

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Which one?

  1. Ultimate Investment Property Calculator

    4 vote(s)
    80.0%
  2. Property Investment Analysis (PIA) Software

    1 vote(s)
    20.0%
  1. leonard157

    leonard157 Active Member

    Joined:
    7th Aug, 2018
    Posts:
    36
    Location:
    Sydney
    Hi Everyone,

    As mentioned, I'm thinking of buying the "Investment Property Calculator", Ultimate version for $150.

    I like to play around with excel and number.

    Before knowing there's software (like PIA from Somersoft) and free excel (lots from this great forum I guess), I even have my own excels for anything I can think of (loan, P&I, ROI, rental yield, gross rental yield, tax rate, etc.), but it is just not complete with all inputs and factors.

    PIA software is great, everyone recommend it, definitely will get one (wouldn't mind buying again every 2 years for new update). But I don't think I can amend, edit or add anything.

    Then I saw this guy Yuquan Shi selling his work Investment Property Calculator (I guess excel will be password-protected anyway), wasn't thinking of buying until I feel the pain of spending hrs doing my own excel :confused:

    So have anyone used this excel calculator? any experience related to comparison between both

    Any recommendation? :)

    Many thanks in advance
     
  2. Terry_w

    Terry_w Lawyer, Tax Adviser and Mortgage broker in Sydney Business Member

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    18th Jun, 2015
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    Australia wide
    Yes I think I have purchased this Ultimate-Investment-Property-Calculator-v1.1.2015, also have PIA.

    Both pretty good, but I would go for the Ultimate-Investment-Property-Calculator over PIA
     
    leonard157 likes this.
  3. leonard157

    leonard157 Active Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Sydney
    cheers, thanks for first vote!
     
  4. Trainee

    Trainee Well-Known Member

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    Australia
    What can it have that you cant build in excel yourself?
     
  5. Steven_S

    Steven_S Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    8th Mar, 2016
    Posts:
    45
    Location:
    Leopold, Victoria
    I purchased this spreadsheet a number of years ago. i found it complex in nature with support for 12 properties as well as your PPOR, which more than works well for my needs. Contains a LOT of stuff that is way over my head but generally helps me to keep track of things.

    Wit this spreadsheet, I have found that you cannot always see how things are being calculated or see exactly how one cell impacts another. There's been times where I have wanted to understand how a calculation is being done, or i've overwritten a value in my spreadsheet and broken a formula inadvertently. Keep backups before you change anything!

    The maker, Patrick, has been receptive to making some minor tweaks that I suggested, and releases updates from time to time.

    The biggest problem I have with this spreadsheet, is that to take an updated spreadsheet and use it means that you need to transcribe your data from the old to the new. When you spend hours setting up your spreadsheet, who would want to spend hours again transcribing into a new version?
     
    leonard157 and Terry_w like this.
  6. Terry_w

    Terry_w Lawyer, Tax Adviser and Mortgage broker in Sydney Business Member

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    Posts:
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    Location:
    Australia wide
    Its pretty. My spreadsheets are plain and even ugly.
    Also factor in the time.
     
  7. Trainee

    Trainee Well-Known Member

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    Posts:
    10,260
    Location:
    Australia
    The problem is you dont know what theyve built in so if the assumptions arent accurate your stuffed.
     
  8. leonard157

    leonard157 Active Member

    Joined:
    7th Aug, 2018
    Posts:
    36
    Location:
    Sydney
    True things, I can feel the pain, hours tinkering and tweaking, then after all not a feeling of accomplishment, but something missing somewhere.

    I guess it's just the one of few moments when we become perfectionists :confused::mad:

    Assumptions are just what they are, assumptions :) but totally agreed, when we can't get to where we want due to...that thing projected from assumptions (then headache followed)
     

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