VanEd Newslog

Designation Spotlight: EcoBroker

Van Education Center has affiliated with EcoBroker to deliver the Nationally recognized EcoBroker Designation program to all VanEd students. EcoBrokers stay current with the growing green real estate market and are better able to help their customers get the most when buying or selling a home. The EcoBroker designation provides the latest and most comprehensive energy and environmental real estate training.

The EcoBroker online courses may be approved for continuing education credit and all designees receive a full profile page on EcoBroker.com. Students have up to a year to complete all three online courses. Designees also have access to proprietary marketing templates and advertising opportunities.

You can view detailed program information, information about courses and benefits or register for the EcoBroker online courses by clicking here!

VanEd Presents RESPA: Keeping Current

Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) reforms go into effect January 1, 2010 and it is critical that you familiarize yourself with the new forms and regulations. Forms designed primarily to help consumers become more informed about settlement services will go into effect on that date, and lenders and title agencies must use the new Good Faith Estimate (GFE) and HUD-1 Settlement Statement. It is important to note that lenders can begin using the new Good Faith Estimate (GFE) at any time.

In order to ensure your transactions go smoothly, you should find out all you can now about the new HUD-1 and the new GFE forms. VanEd's "RESPA: Keeping Current" course covers the new Good Faith Estimate and HUD-1 that are mandatory beginning January 1, 2010. This course is available now by clicking here.  

You can also read the RESPA FAQ from HUD here -- http://www.hudlite.com/HUD_respa_FAQ_2010.pdf

(Follow VanEd on Twitter and receive special discounts and promotions on all of our new courses - perhaps even on the new "RESPA: Keeping Current" course!)

VanEd Presents: Building Green ~ Catch the Green Wave!

Catch the GREEN WAVE!  Our popular Building Green courses have been updated and approved for CE credit in Colorado and Nebraska, and MCE Credit in Texas:  Building Green: The High Performance Home for 4 hours of credit and Building Green: Marketing the High Performance Home for 3 hours of credit are available anytime online at VanEd.

With universal concern about global warming and ever-rising energy costs, the time is right to build energy efficient, eco-friendly homes.  Discover the practical benefits of going green and what it means to builders, buyers and sellers alike. 

CLICK HERE to login to your VanEd account and enroll today!

If you have questions about your education requirements or any of our courses, please feel free to contact us, info@vaned.com. 

VanEd Presents: Nevada real estate continuing education ~ now available online!

What if continuing education (CE) wasn’t a chore? What if it actually helped you be a more successful agent? That’s the idea behind VanEd’s online CE courses. And the most successful people in real estate choose VanEd, and now we are proud to announce our most recent state approval - Nevada!

We are now offering the following courses for Real Estate Continuing Education credit in Nevada:

• Taxation in Real Estate (CE.5037000-RE) - 6 hours CE credit
• Finance in Real Estate (CE.5038000-RE) - 12 hours CE credit

These courses are available online anytime and can be completed on your schedule. Instructional support is available online within the course itself, and both courses are certified by ARELLO. To find out what other courses and programs are available, please click here or follow the link below for more information. Have questions? eMail us at info@vaned.com. We are here to help!

Click Here for information on our new Nevada CE programs, or for more information on all of VanEd's real estate continuing education programs, click here.

ENERGY STAR® Summit set for December 9th in Denver

The 2009 ENERGY STAR^® Summit is the fourth annual hosted by the Smart Energy Living Alliance^®. The event will be held December 9th, 2009 at the DoubleTree Hotel Denver at Stapleton. There will also be the first annual awards dinner following the event. The event will have four learning and education tracks running throughout the day that will focus on;

• Existing Home Performance
• New Homes
• Advanced Building Science
• Multifamily Housing

There will also be a pre-summit home tour and dinner on December 8th. This event will be a tour of a Platinum LEED Home (PLH) in Centennial, and will demonstrate that a holistic approach to building science using a clear roadmap and coordinated execution with ENERGY STAR^® programs provides a competitive advantage. 

Learn more by visiting http://summit.smartenergyliving.org/, or Register online today by Clicking Here

Designation Spotlight: November is REALTOR® Designation Awareness Month

NAR recognizes November as REALTOR® Designation Awareness Month, an important month in which to encourage members to stay current in such a changing industry. NAR and its Institutes, Societies and Councils offer advanced education designation and certification programs. Encompassing nearly every real estate specialty, official NAR designations and certifications, as well as those hosted by other education providers, give you the tools to succeed in today's challenging market.

Celebrate November as REALTOR® Designation Awareness Month by starting, completing or continuing the courses necessary to earn a designation or certification. Earning a designation from NAR or one of its affiliated Institutes, Societies and Councils can help you succeed in all aspects of your business and help you earn more money.

REALTORS® who pursue professional designations have a distinct competitive edge as a result of their increased expertise and marketability. Based on 2009 survey data, the median income of REALTORS® without a designation was $28,400 and the median income of those with at least one designation was $57,700.  The difference between the two? $27,300!

There is an official NAR designation for practically every specialty area in the real estate industry. The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and its affiliated Institutes, Societies and Councils provide a wide-range of programs and services that assist members with increasing skills, productivity, marketability, proficiency and knowledge.  Designations and certifications acknowledging experience and expertise in various real estate sectors are awarded by each affiliated group upon completion of required courses.

Access acomplete list of Designations and Certifications is available online at http://www.VanEd.com/Designations.

VanEd Presents: Understanding Sustainability

VanEd is proud to offer the Planning Institute course; Understanding Sustainability. This course is a survey of sustainability, global climate change, and efforts on an international, national, and personal level that can effect the change necessary to become more sustainable. It will give the student the information necessary to discuss the general topic, and to evaluate new information about global climate change and what can be done about it as that information comes along over the next few years.

The approach of the course is to look at the antecedents of sustainability, some of the key terms, national and local policies, alternative energy sources, and individual efforts that lead to a more sustainable lifestyle.

This course qualifies for real estate continuing education in Colorado - Click Here to learn more!

Designation Spotlight: e-PRO ~ Discounted registration ends Friday!

e-PRO is designed to help agents thrive in the world of online real estate by teaching students the technology on the forefront of the industry. VanEd offers access to the e-PRO certification program online. e-PRO is the only Internet certification program endorsed by NAR, and is designed to enhance the students knowledge of online marketing and resources.

Right now receive a discount on the price of the e-PRO certification course. Register by Friday, October 16th and pay only $299! and receive: e-PRO - NAR's only internet certification program as well as the new Web 2.0/Social Media module that was released in July - FREE!

Click Here to register today!

For more information on e-PRO, and you may also watch the approx. 8 minute video below to learn more about e-PRO.

Affiliate Spotlight: $2 Million in Commissions Paid and Growing!

Entrust New Direction reports that over $2 Million in commissions have been paid to real estate professionals who know about self-directed retirement plans have been brokering deals involving IRAs purchasing or selling real estate for their clients. Entrust New Direction has overseen over 900 real estate transactions for clients. Self-directed plan administrators like Entrust New Direction are not allowed to give investment advice, make recommendations, or sell any products.

“Being a marketing person, our limitations put me in an awkward spot at times. Potential clients call, are excited, and want to know how to find that first piece of real estate for their IRA. I can’t help them with that. That’s why we spend so much time building relationships with professionals who can,” offers Marketing Coordinator, Amy Sheflin.

“The key for professionals is just letting clients know that they can make these investments and then following up with listings of available investment properties. Knowing how to analyze the investments for the client’s retirement plan is key. This education can be a cornerstone to building sales and catering to investor clients.”

Many professionals are just starting to realize what this growing market of investors could mean for their business. Entrust New Direction continues to try to reach these professionals through continuing education and other events in the metro area and teach them how to use the tool to build sales. Entrust offers education both online and in their on-site classroom and has several events planned for this fall. For a full list of upcoming events, visit www.NewDirectionIRA.com.

Agents and brokers can take the MRE approved course online through Van Education - register online at http://www.vaned.com. Entrust New Direction will also be the featured course author in VanEd's booth at the Colorado Association of Realtors convention in Colorado Springs from 11:30am - 2:00pm at the Broadmoor on Monday, October 19^th. Stop by the VanEd booth to say hello!

Two follow-up classes are planned after this event and qualify for 2 hours of Continuing Education credit. The Introduction to the Real Estate IRA offers an overview of how it all works and how professionals can incorporate self-directed investment tools into their business to help sell properties. It will be offered on October 28^th from 8:30am – 10:30am and again on November 12^th again from 8:30am – 10:30am. Both classes will be held in Entrust New Direction’s classroom, registration is available online by clicking here.

Guest Authors Bill Humphrey and Catherine Wynne are Principals with Entrust New Direction IRA. Reach them online at www.newdirectionira.com.

VanEd Presents: TREC Legal Update and Ethics ~ MCE

VanEd has been approved to offer the Texas Mandatory Continuing Education courses: TREC LEGAL UPDATE and ETHICS for 3 hours of MCE credit each all online!

Texas licensees are required to complete 15 hours of continuing education every license period, which must include the Ethics and Legal Update courses.  If you still need all 15 hours, VanEd has arranged two online course packages to chose from including hot topic courses on Building Green and Short Selling, or you can put together a group of your own choosing and receive a 10% discount when you purchase multiple courses!

Follow this link for our complete MCE course list:  http://www.vaned.com/index.cfm/fa/CE/fa2/course/state/TX

Courses can be taken anytime online at your own pace (But please note: Section 535.71(ff) of the Rules of the TREC prohibit an MCE provider from allowing a licensee to complete an online MCE course in less than 24 hours).  Once completed VanEd will submit your signed certificate to TREC to update your credits.  If you have any questions, please let us know!