Pennsylvania Real Estate Continuing Education

3.5 Hours
Infinite prospecting and advertising opportunities are available to real estate professionals through social media, blogging, property listing website, and email resources. Whether you’re an experienced Internet-savvy professional or have yet to create a Facebook profile, this course will help you gain an understanding of the legal, regulatory, ethical, and professional issues that should shape your online content and conduct.

Course highlights include:

• Resources to help you in developing your online presence through personal websites, blogs, social media profiles, email campaigns, etc.
• Tech tips from Amy Chorew that will assist you in protecting your online image
• Details on reducing legal, ethical, regulatory, and practical risk you face through your online real estate activities
• Checklists with website best practices and email etiquette tips that can be used in your online marketing activities
• A handout with tips on avoiding E&O insurance claims stemming from your online real estate activities

3.5 Hours
It is estimated that approximately $300 billion in real estate is transacted by investors each year. Grab your piece of the pie by understanding the driving forces in the dynamic residential real estate investment market. Possessing knowledge of the strategies and mindsets of investors will help you serve your valuable investor clients effectively, responsibly, and ethically.

Through this course, you will learn the impact of real estate investment in the United States, the opportunities that exist for investors, and your role in representing the residential real estate investor.

Course Highlights include:

• Resources from Keller Williams Publishing, National Real Estate Investors Association, OwnAmerica, and the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) that will help you serve your investor clients
• A Criteria Worksheet handout that can be utilized in your efforts finding properties for your clients
• Insights from The Millionaire Real Estate Investor, Personal Real Estate Investor Magazine, and Crash Boom! that will help you understand the mindset and strategies of investors
• Details about current real estate market conditions and the impact of investors on the market over time
• A look at recent data from the U.S. census, NAR surveys, and other independent studies, as well as a discussion about what it all means for today’s real estate investors
• Tips for acting ethically, providing a high level of service, and avoiding liability issues while working with investors
• Advice for becoming a real estate investor yourself, including legal landmines to guard against

2 Hours
While most real estate agents agree referrals are fundamental to success, the majority of agents are still beating the streets in hopes of attracting business from strangers. The Sphere of Influence approach to building your real estate business is based on nurturing relationships within your circle of friends, family, past clients, neighbors and acquaintances. This course helps you turn your acquaintances into your biggest advocates through respectful, non-intrusive methods.

Course highlights include:

• Tips to ensure you are presenting a professional, enthusiastic image to your Sphere of Influence contacts
• Suggestions on planning and implementing an ongoing SOI strategy
• Strategies on building and maintaining a contact database
• Ideas you can use in writing effective reconnection letters
• Things to keep in mind when pursuing and accepting referrals from family and friends

3 Hours
Electronic transactions and e-signatures can give you the competitive edge you need to attract new business, better serve existing clients, and improve your bottom line.

This course provides you with a comprehensive understanding of how national and international laws define an electronic signature, how e-signature technology is currently being used by real estate professionals, and how you can use it in your day-to-day transactions. Additionally, this course looks at the use of e-mail to conduct negotiations and at several real-life case studies currently affecting how you do business.

Course highlights include:

• A look at what it takes to make an e-mail a legally binding agreement, including a discussion of the “mirror image” rule
• Tips for ensuring that your e-mail communications remain blunder free
• A discussion of the pros and cons of e-mail disclaimers and how much protection they really provide users
• A look at how e-signatures are becoming more and more commonplace in the real estate industry, with institutions like the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and mortgage giants like Freddie Mac accepting e-signatures and the National Association of REALTORS® partnering with DocuSign, an e-signature provider
• A detailed discussion of several national and international e-signature laws, including the Electronic
• Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN), the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA), and EU Directive 1999/93/EC
• A review of several precedent-setting case studies and their influence on the use of electronic negotiations in the real estate industry
• An examination of the financial and practical benefits of using e-signature technology
• Tips for selecting an e-signature technology that fits your needs as a busy real estate agent
• A description of the crucial security features and authentication methods to look for in an e-signature software
• Tips for successfully integrating e-signature technology into your day-to-day business transactions

2 Hours
Real estate professionals have a responsibility to know and understand the applicable fair housing and civil rights laws governing their workplace as well as their personal conduct. The public expects and deserves competent actions based upon thorough knowledge. However, federal definitions of “protected classes” expand and change. As licensees learn about and review protected classes and fair housing laws throughout this course, they will become better equipped to act with honesty, competence, and intelligence in serving their clients and customers.

In Breaking Barriers in Fair Housing, we discuss the protections provided by the Fair Housing Act, and how licensees can best protect clients and their firms from discrimination.

Course Highlights

• Video enactments depicting actual fair housing cases, submitted by the Oklahoma Real Estate Commission.
• Up-to-the-minute actual case studies in fair housing violations
• An analysis of the benefits of fair housing principles in real estate.
• A discussion of how attitudes and laws have changed to support a fair housing mindset
• A description of regulatory changes relating to fair housing
• A primer on how to write nondiscriminatory advertising
• Red flags of discrimination for listing agents, selling agents and brokers
• A Public Service Announcement video on fair housing from the Department of Housing and Urban Development

6 Hours
The financing of a home is as integral to real estate transactions as finding the home itself, and it is beneficial for you to have a clear understanding of the entire financing process. This course will help you to gain a better understanding of the changes the mortgage market has experienced over the years.

Highlights of this course include:

• Details outlining the history and purpose of real estate financing
• Explanation of the roles and regulations of FNMA, GNMA, FHLMC, FHA, and VA
• Video outlining the rise and fall of the mortgage market and global economy
• Information about HAFA and Making Home Affordable
• Statistics from the Center for Responsible Lending and the Federal Reserve
• Affordability Worksheet, to assist clients in calculating their maximum affordable purchase price
• Homebuyer Do's and Don'ts flier with tips for your clients
• Instructions on calculating LTV, front-end and back-end ratios, and monthly mortgage payments
• Details and qualification requirements for several popular financing options

6 Hours
From the time your buyers sign their purchase agreements, to the time they finally get the keys to their new home, the mortgage process can be filled with anxiety, frustration, and uncertainty. Through your understanding of the process, you will be able to provide your clients with a road map through the maze.

Highlights of this course include:

• Video outlining the mortgage process
• Tips on helping your clients avoid predatory lending
• Updated statistics from the Center for Responsible Lending
• Current lender disclosure requirements
• 2010 updates to 1003 loan application
• Homebuyer Do's and Don'ts flier that agents can pass on to their clients
• Tips on compiling and managing your short list of reputable lenders
• Current loan documentation rules
• Details regarding closing and closing documents

3 Hours
When licensees represent clients in a commercial transaction, whether marketing the building or assisting in the purchase, knowledge of the building’s structure and systems is vital. A building is comprised of its architectural features and its MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) systems. In this course you’ll learn about:

Highlights of this course include:

• A foundational understanding of … foundations! Includes footings and how they work with foundations to form a system, design concerns of foundations including soil conditions, water tables and live and dead loads
• Design considerations for roofs, walls, windows and doors
• An overview of HVAC types and considerations, including cost, efficiency and varying tenant needs
• A look at electrical, lighting, controls and fire and security alarms, and how they differ by building use and tenant need
• How external conditions can impact building design, occupancy and parking, including zoning and code location, topography, environmental factors

3 Hours
Client advocacy filters into every aspect of your real estate business, starting with the method you use to pursue new clients through your follow-up call after you have executed a transaction. This course takes the concept of advocacy and applies it to everyday actions in commercial real estate. Numerous examples populate the course, including strategies to employ when pursuing new business, opportunities to educate your clients, and effective discussion points to help your clients see when an expert is needed. Good service means being an effective advocate, and this course will help polish those advocating skills.

Highlights of this course include:

• Real life examples of complicated transactions and the key actions that made them successful
• Evaluation of how specialization expands your core competencies resulting in a more stable and successful business strategy
• A deep look at your client interactions with specific advice on how to improve the results

Ed Riggins, Senior Vice President with Cresa Atlanta, assisted in the development of Client Advocacy in Commercial Real Estate, serving as the course's subject matter expert. Ed is a Life Member of the Atlanta Commercial Board of REALTORS®, and he's among less than 1% of practitioners nationally to hold both the SIOR and CCIM designations. www.edriggins.com

3 Hours
Landlord representatives usually referred to as “leasing agents” or “leasing brokers,” serve a key role in commercial real estate: getting tenants for their clients’ buildings. Accomplishing that goal is a lengthy, multi-step process that includes positioning the product in the marketplace, identifying suitable prospects, creating and executing marketing plans, negotiating the deal, and managing all of the steps associated with the leasing process. Landlord reps must have their fingers on the pulse of their market. A thorough knowledge of tenant demographics, occupancy rates, leasing rates, and industry trends is essential. Beyond technical expertise, however, they must also be adept at relationship building, and must know how to coalesce the varying needs of tenants, landlords and leasing brokers into workable, win-win-win deals.

This course provides an overview of commercial leasing, the players involved in commercial leasing, their roles and goals.

Highlights of this course include:

• An analysis of the commercial real estate market as it stands today
• A description of the in-house and external landlord reps, and why landlords choose to work with landlord reps
• A survey of a panel of six landlord representatives who have a combined total of nearly 200 years of experience in commercial real estate
• A look at additional training, accreditation and associations for commercial real estate professionals
• A comparison of different types of commercial leases
• An overview of the tenant build-out process
• A timeline with activities for landlord reps from hire to full execution of a commercial leasing listing contract

Ed Riggins, Senior Vice President with Cresa Atlanta, assisted in the development of Client Advocacy in Commercial Real Estate, serving as the course's subject matter expert. Ed is a Life Member of the Atlanta Commercial Board of REALTORS®, and he's among less than 1% of practitioners nationally to hold both the SIOR and CCIM designations. www.edriggins.com

3 Hours
Real estate licensees who represent commercial clients, whether as buyers or sellers of commercial properties, must understand the process of valuing commercial properties. To best serve their commercial real estate clients, they need a solid understanding of how commercial properties are valued, how appraisers work, and how that important final number is determined

Many of the tools and methodologies used by commercial appraisers can also be used by licensees to help their clients determine value when buying, selling or comparing commercial real estate. While a valuation prepared by a real estate licensee will never take the place of a formal appraisal, it is important for licensees to understand the definitions of value used by appraisers, the methodologies used, the three approaches to value, and how value of commercial properties is determined. It is also important for licensees to be able to read and extract information from a professional appraisal report.

Highlights of this course include:

• Definitions of commonly used commercial appraisal terms
• An in-depth look at the process of data collection, analysis and three approaches to value (cost, income and sales comparison) for commercial property valuation
• Faculty expert, Bill James, a 40-year veteran of commercial appraisal, takes students step-by-step through a real-life appraisal report, which includes the process of data collection, approaches to value, analysis and value determination
• More than two dozen handouts used in a real-life commercial appraisal, with a detailed explanation of each

2 Hours
Real estate is no stranger to the white collar criminal, as fraud has become a major issue in the industry. Many lawbreakers use real estate as a vehicle to steal the life savings of unsuspecting homeowners and defraud lenders out of millions of dollars for their own gain. Federal, state, and local governments have taken steps to combat real estate fraud, but it remains a major problem—and one you need to have a solid understanding of to ensure you're able to shield your clients and yourself from being defrauded or unknowingly committing fraud.

Keeping It Honest: Understanding Real Estate and Mortgage Fraud has been updated to discuss the latest fraudulent schemes and explain recent government initiatives aimed at stopping fraud and protecting consumers.

Course highlights include:

• An overview of fraud and its impact on the real estate industry.
• An examination of the newest and most prevalent types of fraudulent schemes.
• A detailed description of red flag behaviors that suggest someone is engaging in fraud.
• Recommendations on how to report fraudulent or suspected fraudulent activities to the proper authorities.
• An analysis of key government initiatives aimed at stopping fraud and protecting consumers.

7 Hours
THIS COURSE IS APPROVED TO SATISFY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 2014-2016 RENEWAL CYCLE

7 Hour On-Line Elective CE Course: This course analyzes the typical provisions of office, retail, and industrial leases. Formulas used to calculate rent, key negotiation points, and technical issues unique to industrial leases are also covered in great detail.

7 Hours
THIS COURSE IS APPROVED TO SATISFY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 2014-2016 RENEWAL CYCLE

7 Hour On-Line Elective CE Course: Aspects of the commercial sales transaction and tax deferred exchanges are covered in great detail. You will learn the essential elements of the contract, closing procedures, and documentation in a commercial sale along with the benefits and requirements of a tax deferred exchange.

7 Hours
THIS COURSE IS APPROVED TO SATISFY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 2014-2016 RENEWAL CYCLE

7 Hour On-Line Elective CE Course: All of the various forms of residential real estate financing; including conventional, FHA, VA Loans, loan assumptions, purchase money mortgages, alternative financing are explained in this course. Also covers legislation relating to financing.

7.5 Hours
THIS COURSE IS APPROVED TO SATISFY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 2014-2016 RENEWAL CYCLE

7 Hour On-Line Elective CE Course: Presents methods and principles for pricing property. Covers pricing compared to appraisal, basic concepts of pricing property, principles of value, approaches to pricing property and application of the market data and replacement cost methods

3.5 Hours
THIS COURSE IS APPROVED TO SATISFY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 2014-2016 RENEWAL CYCLE

Ethics in Real Estate covers the NAR Code of Ethics and reviews case studies pertaining to the code. Sample scenarios are included as a decision making practice for licensees. This course will insure that real estate professionals have a strong understanding of the National Association of Realtors ; (NAR) Code of Ethics and understand the difference between ethical and unethical behavior.

7 Hours
THIS COURSE IS APPROVED TO SATISFY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 2014-2016 RENEWAL CYCLE

7 Hour On-Line Elective CE Course: Course covers types of tax benefits for homeowners and how to calculate the taxes that will impact the purchase of a home. CR006215

3.5 Hours
THIS COURSE IS APPROVED TO SATISFY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 2014-2016 RENEWAL CYCLE

3.5 Hour On-Line Elective CE Course: Covers the basics of a tax free exchange of residential investment property. Topics covered include requirements of a tax free exchange, types of exchanges and the methods for transferring title when an exchange takes place.CR006209

2 Hours
This course will take you through all the subjects mandated by your state's Real Estate Commission, and includes instruction in identifying lead hazards in the home, understanding The Lead Based Paint Disclosure Rule, familiarity with sellers and lessors disclosure obligations and the federal pamphlet, "Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home".

This course contains 9 units:

1. Regulations and Disclosure
2. Lead Exposure and What to Look For
3. Checking a Home for Lead Hazard
4. State Health and Environmental Agencies
5. Effective Dates and EPA Regulations
6. Agency, Documents and EPA 402/404
7. Pamphlet Provisions and Exemptions
8. Timeshares, Fixtures and Disclosure
9. Recordkeeping, Inspections and Special Situations

3 Hours
This new course is a rich, yet user-friendly high-lite overview of the most important issues with regard to the environment. It covers the concerns of consumers, the latest on radon, radon testing, lead and lead-paint, electro-magnetic fields, and asbestos, and what it means to you, your customers and your work.

This course contains 8 units:

1. Introduction
2. Consumer Concerns
3. Specific Concerns in the Environment
4. Radon Testing and Public Awareness
5. Introduction to Environmental Lead and Lead Based Paint Concerns
6. Asbestos
7. Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMF's): What You Need to Know
8. Environmental Issues: In Conclusion

3 Hours
This course was written to the objectives required by NAR for the Code of Ethics training. At the discretion of your local Board of Realtors, your course completion may also be accepted as credit towards the required Ethics Training. Please contact your Board of Realtors directly and provide them with a copy of your completion certificate along with this course snapshot, to determine if credit will be granted.

This course contains 3 units:

1. Ethics, Morals, Principles, and Laws
2. Articles 1, 2, and 3
3. Articles 12 and 16

3 Hours
This course is a new and refreshingly current look at a subject that has been and remains at the top of the list for real estate professionals. It covers the basics of Federal Fair Housing laws, and then cuts right to the chase with practical, real-world situations, challenges and examples. It concludes with clear-cut exegesis on risk reduction in Fair Housing, and how real estate professionals can face the very real challenges of Fair Housing issues in the daily routine of business.

This course contains 7 units:

1. Fair Housing - The Law of the Land
2. Federal Fair Housing Laws
3. A Good Way to Get in Trouble
4. Handling a Tricky Situation
5. Sample Situations
6. Risk Reduction in Fair Housing
7. Ah, the Challenges

3 Hours
This course is a brand new, user-friendly look at the Residential Finance, and can serve as a fresh overview or welcome refresher for any real estate professional who wants to stay current on this foundational subject. Residential Finance includes an introduction to mortgage financing, principles of conventional mortgage, government loans, special programs, and a rich portion focusing on qualifying the buyer and the property. Created and designed as a "survey" course, the scope of this Residential Finance course is not designed to be a training course toward a full-time mortgage-banking career, but rather is expressly geared for real estate salespersons and brokers who want to be current on the principles Residential Finance in their current work environment.

This course contains 9 units:

1. Introduction to Mortgage Financing
2. Introduction to Mortgage Financing, Part II
3. Conventional Mortgage Lending
4. Conventional Mortgage Lending, Part II
5. Government Loans
6. Qualifying the Buyer and the Property
7. Qualifiying the Buyer and the Property, Part II
8. Qualifiying the Buyer and the Property, Part III
9. Special Programs