Connecticut Real Estate Online Courses

It is widely known that government exists due to the taxation of you and your client's income and property. Your clients should be aware that tax consequences occur as a result of each real estate transaction. Although as a real estate professional you should not provide tax or legal advice, you can identify the potential income and other tax affects for your sellers and buyers, and advise them to seek appropriate legal and tax counsel.

Course highlights include:

• Details outlining in-home office deduction requirements, and an explanation of how to calculate these deductions
• A clear definition of qualified residences
• Details about loans that commonly qualify for interest deductions
• Instructions on calculating an adjusted basis, a capital gain/loss, a net selling price, and a gain or loss on the sale of assets
• An overview of commercial real estate 1031 Like-Kind Exchange requirements

Each one of us has had someone treat us unfairly due to a judgement they’ve made about us. Within your real estate business, it is crucial that you understand the principles of practicing fair housing so that you are able to run a fair and honest business.

Course highlights include:

• Video skits depicting real fair housing cases, submitted by the Oklahoma Real Estate Commission
• Instructions on creating advertisements that comply with fair housing laws
• Details about federally protected classes, as outlined by the Fair Housing Act
• An explanation of how practicing fair housing will benefit your real estate business
• A list of red flags of discrimination for listing agents, selling agents, and brokers
• A video Public Service Announcement from the Department of Housing and Urban Development regarding fair housing

Today's real estate marketplace is in greater turmoil than ever. Ethical real estate professionals who adhere to a high set of standards will be the foundation for restoring confidence and stability in an already unsure marketplace. The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) relies on its Code of Ethics to ensure that all REALTORS® are conducting business in an honest manner and with the highest degree of integrity. 

Course highlights include:

• Videos produced by the NAR that provide insights into the Code of Ethics
• Case studies and real world examples of Code of Ethics violations
• A link that will allow you to access the Code of Ethics and save a copy for your reference
• Details about the Standards of Practice and Case Interpretations of the Code of Ethics
• A summary of the various roles present in real estate transactions and the duties associated with each role

*This course meets the NAR QUADRENNIAL requirement

BEST VALUE

This package contains all 12 CE hours required for brokers and sales licensees REINSTATING a two-year license.

Courses included in this package:

• CT Buyer Agency: Mandatory Course for 2010 CE Cycle (3 Mandatory Hours 2008-2010)
• CT Disclosure, RESPA, and Law Update: Mandatory Course for 2010 CE Cycle (3 Mandatory Hours 2008-2010)
• Foreclosures Demystified (3 Elective Hours)
• Going Green: The Environmental Movement in Real Estate (3 Elective Hours)

*Please note this package is ONLY good for the 2008-2010 license renewal cycle for those reinstating their license; it will NOT meet your CE requirements for the 2010-2012 license renewal!

Since changes in the disclosure laws in the 1990's, many residential real estate agents have entered into contractual relationships with potential buyers, thereby becoming true "buyers's agents." This course will walk you through those rights and responsibilities as a buyer's agent, a dual agent, and a designated agent. 

*Please note this mandatory course is ONLY good for the 2008-2010 license renewal cycle for those reinstating their license; it will NOT meet your mandatory requirements for the 2010-2012 license renewal cycle!

As the real estate industry changes, so do the legal and regulatory requirements that control and monitor the real estate business. In 2009, the Connecticut legislature passed a series of regulatory laws that will continue to affect how you do business.

Course highlights include:

• Property disclosures
• RESPA and kickbacks
• Appraisal education requirements
• Mortgage-related licensing and the SAFE Act of 2008
• Conveyance tax
• Disclosure of gun and hunting clubs
• Eminent domain limitations
• Electronic recording

*Please note this mandatory course is ONLY good for the 2008-2010 license renewal cycle for those reinstating their license; it will NOT meet your mandatory requirements for the 2010-2012 license renewal cycle!

The real estate market reflects the diverse population that is present in the United States today with individuals of different races, ethnicities, lifestyles, and cultures. The interests and goals of individuals within diverse populations influence their decision making process within the purchase of real estate. It is critical that the successful real estate professional understands and adapts to others’ lifestyles.

Course highlights include:

• Resources that will help you identify the diversity of the population living in your area
• Numerous examples of characteristics and beliefs that can be present in a diverse population
• Statistics from the National Association of REALTORS® relating to diversity
• A summary of requirements outlined in various fair housing laws and details about federally protected classes
• Suggestions that will help you in your efforts working with a diverse group of clients

In today`s real estate marketplace, foreclosures and short sales are a part of the landscape. This course will help you to gain a clear understanding of the steps of the foreclosure process.

Course highlights include:

• Details about legislation that has been enacted to assist distressed homeowners
• Rebuilding steps for homeowners who are recovering from foreclosure
• An explanation of the differences between judicial foreclosure and trust deed non-judicial foreclosure processes
• Foreclosure avoidance tips and ideas
• Details outlining the foreclosure process

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.

Course highlights 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 Dont's 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

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.

Course highlights 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

In this course, we will discuss the runaway trend in the real estate market to go "green." As more and more clients search exclusively for green homes, it is more important than ever to understand what "green" means and how you can utilize knowledge of "green" living in your efforts marketing and searching for properties.

Course highlights include:

• Tools that can be shared with your clients so they can measure the impact their lifestyles could leave on the environment, along with helpful tips for reducing their negative impact.
• Descriptions and videos about popular "green" building, design, and landscaping materials, which will help you identify "green"; features during showings.
• Videos and Internet resources providing details on programs such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH), and ENERGY STAR®, and details about "green" property requirements, as outlined by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
• Recommendations that you can share with your seller clients on how they can make inexpensive, effective "green" changes to their homes that appeal to eco-conscious buyers.
• Suggestions on ways you can "go green" in your real estate business, and details about going paperless.

Real estate fraud, along with the recent increase in identity theft, has become a major issue in the industry. This course identifies several types of real estate fraud schemes, both minor and major, and helps you, as a real estate professional, understand how you can protect and educate your clients on this growing problem.

Course highlights include:

• Details about property disclosures that are required in real estate transactions
• Statistics regarding fraud cases and the top 10 states with significant mortgage fraud problems
• An explanation of sub-prime lending and how it impacts mortgage fraud
• A summary of the steps of a purchase process that will help you identify where major buyer misrepresentation can occur
• A handout from the Federal Bureau of Investigation that will help you understand how "house stealing" can occur

In a race, you don't finish unless you cross the finish line. A real estate transaction can be similar. All the hard work, the showings, the negotiations, the contracts, and the communications are all part of the race. The final step, finish line, comes at the closing. The signing of all the documents and transferring of ownership from one person to another comes at the finish line.

Course highlights include:

• Details that will help you protect ownership rights and understand liens, encumbrances, and title insurance
• A list of the four basic rights of owning and possessing property and explanations of how these rights impact property owners
• Characteristics of a valid deed, and descriptions of grant deeds, warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, tax deeds, gift deeds, and deeds in lieu of foreclosure
• Items included on a full title report, an ownership and encumbrance property report, a legal and vesting report, and a land title report
• Details about items covered by the lender's title insurance policy and those covered by the borrower's policy
• An explanation of the contents of the HUD-1 Settlement Statement

The Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is the most powerful tool that you, as a real estate professional, have at your disposal. In addition to other agents and brokers being able to see your listings, MLS listings are seen by potential buyers through various Internet sites. How you use the MLS communicates your professionalism and attracts other brokers, agents, and buyers to your properties.

Course highlights include:

• The purpose and history of development of the MLS system
• An explanation of the impact of the data flowing in and out of the MLS
• Details on writing exceptional listing descriptions
• Tips on remaining in compliance with fair housing, advertising, and antitrust regulations
• A list of various syndication partners that REALTOR.com feeds MLS data

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) acquires thousands of homes every year through foreclosure on properties that had Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insured mortgages. This course explains the processes and procedures involved in listing and selling HUD homes, including how the properties are awarded to individual brokers for listing, how brokers and agents are compensated for these sales, and how they are listed and marketed.

Course highlights include:

• Overview of increased commission opportunities
• Explanation of FHA financing, and the FHA foreclosure process
• A summary of the roles created through HUD's Management and Marketing III program, and details regarding the duties associated with each role
• A description of the documents involved in the sale of a HUD home
• Rules outlining the advertisement of HUD homes
• Details about the HUD home bidding process