We are one of the nation’s largest real estate schools offering real estate pre-licensing and continuing education courses online. View our course catalog and fulfill your educational requirements with us.
We now offer Texas real estate PRE-LICENSING packages
(Scroll down for other states)
Texas
PL Pack
Special!!!
(0111) Principles of Real Estate I - Book format
(0111) Principles of Real Estate I - PDF version
Book Format: Law of Agency (1111) Book Format
Book Format: Law of Contracts (1200) Book Format
Book Order: Principles of Real Estate I and II Book Format
e-Book - Law of Agency (1111) e-Book
e-Book - Law of Contracts (1200) e-Book
e-Book - Principles of Real Estate I and II e-Book
Marketing I: Building a Real Estate Practice (0511) - Book Format
Marketing I: Building a Real Estate Practice (0511) - e-Book
Marketing I: Building a Real Estate Practice - TREC 0511 (Online)
Marketing II Negotiations Techniques TREC 0512 - Online
Marketing II: Negotiation Techniques (0512) - Book Format
Marketing II: Negotiation Techniques (0512) - e-Book
Online - Texas Law of Agency - TREC 1111 Online
Online - Texas Law of Contracts - TREC 1200 Online
Online - Texas Principles of Real Estate I - TREC 0111 Online
Online - Texas Principles of Real Estate II - TREC 0112 Online
Principles of Real Estate II: TREC 0112 - Textbook
Property Management: TREC 0811 - Textbook
Real Estate Finance I (TREC 0411) - Book Format
Real Estate Finance I (TREC 0411) - e-Book
Real Estate Finance I: TREC 0411 - Online
Real Estate Finance II: TREC 0412 - Textbook
Texas Salesperson Exam Prep Exam Prep
Many states to choose from. Prices range from $5 to $185
Fully Accredited
When you see the ARELLO seal, you can have confidence that Real Estate Schools under that seal have gone to great lengths to ensure your real estate license education experience is the best it can be. Real Estate Schools displaying this seal have met the high standards of quality required by The Association of Real Estate License Law Officials for online real estate courses and real estate classes.
Our online training courses can't be beat. Also our online certification classes are the best you can find anywhere.
For Help call 877.230.9485
We offer support 7 days a week, 24 hours a day
Many demos to choose from
Mortgage Continuing Ed
Sample Offering
COURSE TITLE
Sample States real estate continuing ed:
The California department of real estate (DRE) requires real estate licensees to complete 45 hours of continuing education courses every 4 years in order to renew their license. First time renewals must complete five separate three-hour courses in ethics, agency, trust fund handling, fair housing and risk management. The remaining 30 hours may be related to either consumer service or consumer protection courses. Subsequent renewals for salespersons and brokers must complete their 45 hours in 3 hours of risk management, 6 hours survey and 36 hours of consumer service or consumer protection. You will notice that we provide a complete selection of inexpensive California real estate education courses for you to choose .http://www.californiarealestatelicenseclasses.com
All active licensees licensed after January 1, 1980, must complete at least 24 hours of approved continuing education course work during each four year renewal period. Note : Salespersons who complete the 25 hour post license course in their first year of licensure may count that course as meeting only 6 hours of the CE requirement for the first renewal period.
In the succeeding 3 years of their first renewal period, such salespersons must complete an additional 18 hours of CE courses in order to renew their licenses. (Georgia Real Estate License Law and Rules and Regulations, Chapter 520-2-.07(7).)
Salespersons and Brokers renew their license every 4 years in the month of their birth.
The Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing require real estate licensees to complete 30 hours of continuing education every three years. As a part of the 30 hours, licensees must complete 9 hours of core courses: - 3 hours of Civil Rights - 3 hours of Core Law - 3 hours of Canons of Ethics and 21 hours of elective continuing education coursework. You will discover that we offer a great selection of low priced Ohio real estate education courses to choose from.
Beginning with the license period designated by regulation, each person licensed pursuant shall be required to obtain 14 hours of mandatory continuing education during each two-year license period. A licensed broker or salesperson who wishes to activate a license which has been placed on inactive status shall be required to document 14 hours of continuing education.
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) requires real estate licensees to complete 14 hours of continuing education courses every 2 years in order to renew their license. The 14 hours is a combination of 3 hours of Core Law and 11 hours of various specialty elective credits. You will find that we provide a vast selection of inexpensive Florida real estate education courses to choose from, including a stand-alone 3 hour core law course. http://www.floridarealestatelicense.org
The Tennessee Real Estate Commission (TREC) require real estate licensees to complete 16 hours of state approved courses every 2 years. These courses must include 4 hours in the mandatory "core" course and the other 12 hours in elective material. We offer a great selection of reasonable priced Tennessee real estate education courses to select from.
The state of Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) require real estate licensees to complete 15 hours of state approved courses every 2 years. These courses must include 6 hours of mandatory legal courses consisting of 3 hours legal updates and 3 hours of ethics. The remaining 9 hours are elective courses. We offer an astounding selection of economical Texas real estate education courses to pick from.
NEWS
Commercial real estate may shape up as the next big crisis
Where will the ax fall next?
Saturday, Mar. 07, 2009
By Sanford Nax / The Fresno Bee
Another wave of defaults is coming, and it's not homes. This time, it's commercial real estate.
And the central San Joaquin Valley, which has some of the highest residential foreclosure rates in the nation but so far has sidestepped commercial defaults, could be seriously at risk.
"Retail is in serious jeopardy across the board," said Ed Mermelstein, a New York real estate attorney who works with owners of commercial properties. "Any part of the country with regional malls is affected because tenants are national tenants and chains, and chains are feeling the brunt" of the recession.
When Will The United States Housing Market Rebound?
Q: When will the housing market rebound?
A: Your guess is as good as mine.
Let me state this up front - anybody who states with 100% confidence that they know exactly when the housing market is going to start to rebound is completely clueless.
There are way too much unanswered questions that will have a direct impact on the short-term direction of the housing market, such as:
1. When will the economy start to recover?
2. Will these newly introduced government programs (such as the $75 billion dollar foreclosure plan) help to stem the tide of foreclosures in the United States?
3. When will the fear that is gripping people's hearts start to dissipate?
4. When will people who are on the sidelines (and there are many) start to feel emboldened about buying again?
5. When will banks start lending again?
6. When will the unemployment numbers start to reverse and head lower?
7. When will people start to feel confident about the economy and their futures once again?
There are all questions that need to be answered before we begin to talk about a recovery in the real estate market.
A real recovery won't happen until the average American starts to feel more optimistic about the economy and their short-term futures.
A real recovery won't happen until banks start opening up their pursestrings and lending again.
A real recovery won't happen until the huge number of bank-owned properties start to disappear from their books.
When will a recovery take place?
Some people, such as Jim Cramer, expect that the real estate market will bottom in the summer of 2009.
This seems a bit optimistic to me, considering that this is just 4-5 months away.
I mean - unemployment numbers are spiking and there is serious talk that some of the nation's biggest banks might be nationalized.
This doesn't sound to me like the ideal environment for a pronounced turnaround.
My personal opinion? (if you care)
We are at least a few years away from seeing a dramatic improvement in the US housing market.
I'm of the opinion that we are currently in the midst of a multi-year depression. There are many things that need to be "fixed" before the housing market can put in a long-term bottom and start working its way higher.
That being said - there are thousands of different real estate markets in the United States.
There are some really good buys to be had RIGHT NOW, and some other markets that are still overpriced (in my opinion).
If you have located your dream home in an ideal neighborhood with a great school nearby, then by all means don't be afraid to buy it:
a) if you can afford it
b) if you plan on living there for the long-term
But when it comes to speculating that the real estate market will trend higher (significantly) over the short-term - no thanks. I just don't see it.
Snag a great deal on a short sale
Short sales - where a lender agrees to take less than it's owed on a mortgage - are rising sharply. Here's how you can profit.
Last Updated: March 16, 2009: 7:15 AM ET
3 things sellers must know
Underwater on your mortgage? A short sale may be an option, but you first have to convince the bank to erase part of your debt - and your credit will still suffer.
1. You have to prove hardship.
To get the lender to forgive the balance of your mortgage, you'll have to prove that you can't make payments or must move and can't pay off the full loan. You will need to give the bank recent W-2s, bank statements and tax returns, so be sure to have the necessary documentation on hand.
2. Your credit will take a hit.
If the shortfall is forgiven, it won't hurt your credit as much as a foreclosure. But you'll still be hard-pressed to find another lender willing to give you a mortgage anytime soon. In rare cases, you'll be required to repay part or all of the funds; fail to do so, and you run the risk of being sued.
3. You may owe taxes on the debt.
Thanks to a 2007 bill, you won't owe taxes on the amount forgiven if you're selling your primary home. But if it's a vacation home or investment property, you will have to prove to the IRS that you're insolvent (that your total liabilities exceed your total assets), or cough up the money.
Current Mortgage Rates
Best Places to Live
Current Issue
(Money Magazine) -- When Brian Gavitt, a physician, and his wife Gayleen, a stay-at-home mom, started to eye homes in Sacramento last winter, they knew they were looking in the hardest-hit areas of the housing bust. So the couple, who were relocating from Lansing, figured they could land a fantastic bargain in no time at all.
The part about the bargain turned out to be true. The Gavitts bought a five-bedroom house in the upscale Natomas Park neighborhood ("Even now, you don't see FOR SALE signs up anywhere," says Gayleen.) And it was a steal at $300,000, a full $200,000 less than they would have paid just two years ago.
The amount of time it took to land the deal was another story. It was more than six months from when the Gavitts first saw their dream home to the moment they held the keys in their hands. The reason: The home they bought was a short sale.
Not along ago, few people had even heard of a short sale, which occurs when the bank agrees to discount the loan balance for a seller who owes more on his mortgage than the home is currently worth.
If you're in the market for a home today, you're almost guaranteed to be looking at some short sales. Nationwide, 14% of homeowners are currently underwater on their mortgages, calculates real estate website Zillow.com. And in many areas, it's far more: In the Gavitts' zip code, for example, over half of homeowners would owe more than their home is worth if they sold today, calculates Dee Schwindt, the Gavitts' realtor.
The good news is that short sellers are likely to still be living in the home and some may even be current on their payments. That means these aren't the run-down, distressed properties that you often find among foreclosures; in fact, there's a good chance that some of the most deluxe homes for sale in your market are underwater.
Before you get too excited about buying a short sale, know that they generally aren't, well, short. For the sale to go through, the seller's lender must approve the price and agree to take the shortfall as a loss. That extra step can cause the process to drag on three times as long as a normal home sale.
But as the Gavitts discovered, the hassles can be well worth it. Some buyers and realtors don't want to deal with short sales, leaving many choice homes with very few bidders. So if you're willing to brave the intricacies of the process, you'll be far more likely to land the home you always wanted. The key to snagging a good deal is knowing how to avoid the land mines.
Know what you're getting into. In a short sale, you are dealing with several parties: the sellers, their agent and the sellers' lender. That's why a short sale can take anywhere between two and six months to execute, compared with about 30 days for a typical sale. Though many banks are willing to take a loss on a mortgage in a short sale if it means avoiding an even bigger loss in a foreclosure, with so many owners trying to unload properties, the lender's negotiators are flooded with short-sale offers. So if you're moving or selling another property, keep in mind that you'll likely need to budget for a few months' worth of rental payments so you have somewhere to live in the interim.
Find the right pro. Lenders often make realtors who work on short sales take a hit on their commission, so some brokers may be loath to show you the listings. But don't even think about going solo. These deals take a lot of work and persistence, says Loni Parmelly, author of Success in Short Sales. Before you sign up with an agent, ask him how many short sales he's closed. If he hasn't done at least two, find someone more experienced.
Weed out candidates. In most cities, home listings will indicate in the description whether the property is a short sale. Ideally, you want to knock off ones that come with extra complexities. If possible, pass on any home that has more than one lien against it; having to negotiate loans with two lenders can greatly increase the amount of time it takes to complete the deal. Also avoid homes where the seller has other offers. That's because if another offer is pending, the seller's agent isn't likely to even submit yours for approval until the first one is rejected, meaning you'll have to wait for another negotiation to play out before you even get a chance.
Set the right price. The first step is to have your agent submit your offer to the seller. Don't just rely on the current list price to come up with your initial bid, says Bill Richardson, a district sales manager for the Keyes Co. Realtors in Boca Raton, Fla. The seller's agent may have far underpriced it in hopes of attracting buyers, but the bank likely won't accept a lowball offer. Ask your agent to determine the home's fair market value by searching comparable sales in the area, with an emphasis on other short sales and foreclosures (or get a rough estimate yourself at zillow.com). If the fair market value is lower than the list price, set your offer 10% lower than that.
At this point, you'll also want to get pre-approval for a mortgage; many banks won't even consider your offer if you don't have one, says Schwindt.
Protect yourself. Next, the seller's agent will submit your offer to the seller's lender. At this point, you'll be asked to sign a sales contract. See if the lender will agree to pick up all closing costs as part of the contract, says author Parmelly. Also ask your realtor to specify that you won't do an appraisal or inspection of the property until the offer is approved. That way you won't have to shell out hundreds of dollars until you know you realistically have a good chance of getting the home.
Finally, though most lenders will require you to make some kind of deposit along with the contract, don't put down more than $3,000 before your bid is accepted. That will give you room to put offers on other homes or even to pull out of the sale if it drags on for too long.
Be a pain in the neck. After your offer is submitted to the lender, you're likely to hear nothing for weeks, if not months. This is no time to relax. Call your agent at least once a week, and make sure the seller's agent is contacting the bank's negotiator nearly every day.
"These negotiators may have 400 files on their desk. They'll want to get rid of the squeaky wheels," says Parmelly, who worked as a loan negotiator for lenders for 16 years. To help the seller's realtor in her negotiations with the lender, it's a good idea to have your agent show her which comparable homes you used to arrive at your number.
If the clock keeps ticking and you're reaching the end of your rope, try playing hardball. After months, the lender the Gavitts negotiated with was still dragging its feet and their pre-approved loan rate was about to expire. "We said, 'We need an answer by Friday or we walk,' " Gayleen says. The bank responded by week's end.
Keep your eye on the market. When the bank finally sends its counter-offer, use it as a guideline rather than an ultimatum. Most of the time, the lender's number is based on its own research, that of a local realtor it hires and the outstanding loan balance. Usually its goal is to sell for at least 90% of the home's value, says Amy Bohutinsky, a spokes-person for Zillow.com.
The lender's offer may not be what you'd hoped for, but don't despair: You have a chance to counter. If the market has been flat since your initial bid, try for 5% to 10% less than the bank's number. If the market has been sinking rapidly, however, you may be able to prove that the home's value has shrunk further and offer even less. Once you have the lender's ear, the new offer should take less time to process.
Despite all the legwork and wait, the Gavitts are thrilled with their new home. "I'm glad people are turned off by short sales," says Brian. "It just means more choices for the rest of us."
Have you found a way to pay for your child's college education without taking on too much debt? Did you choose a university based on its lower cost or loan programs, research scholarships, or just save up and pay in full? We want to hear from you. Send your stories to pwang@moneymail.com and you could be featured in an upcoming story.
First Published: January 28, 2009: 6:06 AM ET
Real Estate pre-license classes, real estate ce classes, mortgage ce classes, finance real estate classes, law of agency real estate classes, law of contracts classes,principles of real estate and marketing classes,Online training courses,Online certification classes
