VanEd - Real Estate School News

Prince Philip "Graduates" ~ Along with a few other notable people! Our Favorite Stories from May

All month issues surrounding both rulemaking and legislative issues were at the forefront of the real estate industry news cycle. We could hardly even glance at Instagram before we were drawn right back into the fray of policy and debate. 

Below are the top stories this month our staff spent time discussing. Whether we wanted to or........  well, you decide.

 

The ARELLO Mid-Year Meetings went off without a hitch. We were in attendance speaking with regulators from around the world on issues ranging from approvals to policies.  Many were focused on possible changes to the structure of the CFPB and tax reform issues. Also, look for coming changes in Washington's pre-license course outlines.

NAR holds Mid-Year... errr... Legislative Meetings in D.C.

Two years on and we still can't get the name of the Biannual Meeting correct. Oh well.

We posted the NAR 360 video before we saw the Internal News Service Special Report. We would have preferred that option first, and think you may as well. In the report, NAR discusses rule changes to MLS and IDX systems, as well as key issues surrounding UpStreamRE's new structure (and funding through 2018).  Our takeaway was the same as the only comment on the article - should they change the name to DownStreamRE? 

Click Here to Read the Internal News Service Special Report.

Click Here to watch the NAR 360 Video.

 

AdAge

Ad Age magazine reported on the new bill sponsored by Rep. Marsha Blackburn called (ready for this?)  Balancing the Rights of Web Surfers Equally and Responsibility Act of 2017.    That's right.... it's the BROWSER Act.  After voting to remove the privacy rules for ISPs, it appears that this representative may have heard from constituents who wanted some protections put back in place.  Apparently, not without a catchy name for the Bill, which has not yet made it to a committee.

Click Here to read more in Ad Age.

 

Speaking of Bad Acts

In his piece in The Hill David Reiss, Professor of Law at the Brooklyn Law School, writes on the Financial Choice Act and how it will gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. This will, in his words, "return us to the Wild West days of the early 2000s".  Hopefully, for Professor Reiss and the rest of us, legislators remember that history repeats itself before they make any changes that would allow predatory lending to again rise to the level of "commonplace".

Click Here to read more in The Hill.

 

Missouri GRI Launch Date Announced

One of our favorite things to do around here is announcing new programs, and this month was very cool!  The Missouri Association of REALTORS® and VanEd are proud to announce that the Missouri GRI program will launch online on June 1st, 2017!   

With the first wave of courses coming we will also be offering a 12-hour CE package that includes Core, Elective and Ethics renewal coursework.  All of us are very excited about the new program and the launch. You can learn more online below or contact us here for more information.

Learn More about the Missouri GRI Program by Clicking Here.

 

Real Estate Book of the Month

We currently have 7 books we are looking at right now, but this month we revisited Mark Leader's book, Mark of a Leader.  You can find his book online at LeadersChoice.com.  Back in 2008, this book became popular and now we are looking back at some of the insights. 

Learn more about when this was the book of the month in 2008 on Lisa Spaulding's Active Rain blog.

 

Graduation Announcements

Prince Philip declares he will retire from royal public duties at the age of 96 (quitter) and now we know more about what his "graduation" to private life will look like. The Sun reported this month that Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh has decided that he will no longer carry out public engagements from the autumn of this year. In taking this decision, The Duke has the full support of The Queen."   

We were pleased to hear that since we're just not settled on if the Queen can still order the Duke's head to be removed or not.  Learn more in this handy article from The Sun.  (Yep - Royal Watch is always on over here)

And then, in what is becoming an almost annual event, we here at VanEd are proud to announce another high school graduation. Congrats go out to Katarina, daughter of Managing Partner, on her recent accomplishment and graduation this month. We look forward to all your coming endeavors, and we even saved all those words of wisdom for the celebrities!

 

Boo! Don't get scared off the VINE by the ZOMBIES in our favorite stories from October!

Happy Halloween Everybody!

This month our team spent time helping new affiliates, volunteering on two state exam reviews, performing with children in penguin suits, attending conferences and updating 3 programs (including more than 20 courses!).  Feels like there were a full 31 days in this month. We also had our first zombie sighting in months. So there's that.

And during all of that there was still news and information being presented. Here, in absolutely no particular order, are our favorite items.

 

ARELLO Names Bruce Wooley Investigator of the Year

The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) is pleased to announce former TREC Chief Investigator, Bruce Wooley has been named 2016 Investigator of the Year by the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials. Click here to read the full story.

 

Zombies overrun home of sales rep Chris DeLuca

REMOnline posted how there will be a gory zombie doctor’s office, a graveyard with ghosts and zombies, a human meat market, a living dead daycare, a torture chamber and a giant jumping spider all taking over the home of the Sutton Group Heritage sales rep.  The event is for a good cause so if you're in the Ontario area we suggest you go.  

As for us - Thank you for the heads up - we will NOT be attending. #Zombies

 

Real Estate Groups Concerned About APB 'Green' Guidance

The Real Estate Roundtable announced Sept. 9 that it led a real estate industry comment letter to the Appraisal Practices Board stating concerns about its first draft of the “voluntary” guideline Valuation of Green and High Performance Property: Commercial, Multifamily and Institutional Properties.

In its letter, the coalition noted several “significant” concerns about the draft.  You can read more online by clicking here.

 

New EcoBroker® Course Launched

From our perspective, one of the most exciting new Continuing Education courses to come along in a while is the new EcoBroker: Trends in Sustainability update course. This new course covers current issues including Solar leases and financial concerns regarding today's Sustainable homes. The course also discusses key risk reduction issues using what EcoBroker® fondly calls the Liability Reduction Paradigm.

Learn more about this new course by clicking here.

 

Vine. Donzo.

With Twitter announcing that Vine is going the way of the Model A Ford, we wanted to make sure first that all our vines would be saved. Then we saw that "The company insists that they will be working alongside creators to make sure that all questions are answered and that the discontinuation is done “the right way” (if such a thing exists). In the meantime, Vine will be sharing updates and information via their Twitter account."

                                                                                #DeadOnTheVine

We actually thought that was a pretty good hashtag.

 

Fun Facts about the World Series

In Game 4 of the world series Jason Kipnis of the Cleveland Indians became only the third player from a visiting team to hit a 3-run home run at Wrigley Field in Chicago, home of the Cubs. Can you guess the other two?

Jimmie Foxx and Babe Ruth.   Pretty good club to join Jason - congratulations.   

 

Tour the Haunted Ghost Town That Could Be All Yours (If You Dare)

Zillow Porchlight posted on how you could have an abandoned school, general store, and homes all to yourself ... except for the ghosts.  It seems that you'll have to share those. "Along with the sprawling acreage and historic buildings, Johnsonville’s buyers will also be inheriting some ghosts — or at least the stories that people have about them."

As for us, the stories are fine. Not sure about the ghosts, but hey, it's Halloween, right? 

 

Global Real Estate Summit

The Institute of Real Estate Management has already posted a video about next Octobers IREM Global Real Estate Summit. 

Collaborate - Innovate - Differentiate is the theme for the Summit which is planned for October 10th, 2017 in Chicago.

 

 

Registration opens Spring 2017 - click here for more information. (Ignore the blatant pitch to send the author to Chicago next Fall)

 

 

 

Think we missed a story that we should have included? Let us know. Email us stories at [email protected] and we'll make sure to consider them!

Texas Broker Responsibility Continuing Education Course receives ARELLO Education Award

The most recent TREC Advisor newsletter included the following announcement. You can find all of the TREC Advisor Newsletters online at the TREC Website.

The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) is pleased to announce it has received a 2016 Education Award by the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO) for the agency’s “Broker Responsibility” course. ARELLO is an international organization of real estate licensing agencies and individuals involved with regulation of the real estate industry.

The “Broker Responsibility” course is a mandatory continuing education course required for brokers and agents with supervisory responsibilities. Since 2011, the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M, TREC staff and a committee of volunteer brokers has worked closely to improve the course every two years. The purpose of this course is to address the management, operation and supervision of a real estate brokerage firm in Texas. The course provides an understanding and working knowledge of the laws of agency, planning and organization of business entities, requirements for written policies and procedures, records retention and control, advertising, recruitment and training of agents, and the anatomy of a complaint filed with TREC.

The most recent improvements included scenario-based discussions of requirements and best practices. The ARELLO Education award is a great honor. TREC was also recognized by ARELLO in 2012 when the course was first introduced.

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VanEd is proud to offer the Broker Responsibility course for CE Credit for Texas Licensees. You can find all of VanEd TREC Approved Texas Continuing Education courses online by clicking here.

Instructors: 2016 IDW hosted by the Nebraska Real Estate Commission set for June 30th

Note: The Following was issued by the NREC. For questions, please contact us at [email protected]. 

Dear Real Estate Instructors,

This year’s Instructor Development Workshop, Thursday, June 30, 2016 will be an in depth look at the Generally Accepted Principles of Education (GAPE). These Principles are adopted by the Real Estate Educator Association (REEA) and applied in the evaluation of Distinguished Real Estate Instructors.

We will be learning and practicing these Principles during the six hour workshop with the author of the Principles, Mark Barker, DREI. It’s important that we all have a strong working knowledge of these Principles. They are the basis of instructor audits by the Commission as well as the Principles recommended for Education Directors to evaluate school instructors.

Even if chances are slim you will be audited this year because you don’t teach Pre-licensing or you teach at an institute of higher education, you can still use the Principles to strengthen your instructional performance.

Registration form is attached and contains further information about the day. Please register by Friday, June 17, 2016.

  Download 2016 NREC IDW Registration Form

We're not Foolin' - These are the stories that caught our eye in April

When we read the first storyline listed here in early April, we knew we were going to have a big month of stories to follow. Turns out we were right!

If you live near these major-league ballparks, your home is worth more 

Homes near Yankee Stadium saw an 82 percent bump in their value compared to the New York metro area, according to a study published March 30 by real estate research site Trulia. The study focused on how proximity to a Major League Baseball stadium can affect home values.  The study concludes that if you Live close enough to smell the peanuts and Cracker Jack, and your home valuation might improve.

Marketwatch reported on the story and we think you'll agree that these are interesting findings.

 

ARELLO Mid-Year Meetings focus on change

When regulators from around the world gather, those they regulate listen. This years meetings were no different as change in licensing exams, education standards, rules and policy were all covered in the three day conference.  VanEd was in attendance in Atlanta where some of us learned about Chicken N Waffles before focusing on learning more about upcoming changes to licensing exams and new regulations.

Through these meetings VanEd has been invited to participate more closely with regulators in many of the states we offer real estate and appraisal coursework in. This gives us a chance to reach out on behalf of our licensee students to discuss key areas of concern in the industry. Look for more information on these ongoing discussions throughout the year.

 

Colorado Real Estate Commission Adopts changes to Rule F

Rules F-1 and F-2 were updated this month to include the new sections of the contracts that are allowed to be amended during the process, and to codify in rule that a buyers broker may not ask the seller to pay the commission that is the responsibility of a buyer. While buyers may ask sellers to pay, the brokers are not parties to the contract and may not include this language.

Our initial interpretation of these items caused some questions and we have updated our courses to reflect the changes made by the commission. You can view our post online at the VanEd News Page by clicking here.  On that same page you can also download copies of the adopted rules.

 

San Francisco Passed Bill that Requires Solar Panels on All New Construction

The city of San Francisco passed legislation April 19 that requires all new residential and commercial construction of 10 floors or less to install solar panels on their roofs, Business Insider reported. The rule takes effect Jan. 1, 2017. Don't be worried if you don't like solar, though, there is a backup plan.

Additional legislation not yet approved would allow people to add a living roof (think rooftop garden) in place of the solar installation. Business Insider has the story online here.

 

FHFA Announces Principal Reduction Modification Program

The Federal Housing Finance Agency will allow a limited, onetime mortgage principal reduction for borrowers that have fallen behind on monthly payments. This temporarily reverses the policy for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Citing that the number of underwater homeowners with loans owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac has declined by 80 percent in the last four years, the announced program has the potential of helping still more who are under threat of foreclosure.

 

Ability-to-Repay Rules see MASSIVE complaints

oh...wait....what's that? There haven't been ANY consumer claims?  

Fitch reported on April 20th that in the two years since the ATR rule came into effect mortgage services have yet to see any claims.  We love this since it means either consumers really CAN repay the loans they take out OR the lenders aren't lending to anyone who is unqualified. Either way, bully for the ATR rule!    

Read more from the MBA Newsletter online by clicking here.

 

Rental Assistance Funding Down since 2011

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reported that rental assistance has fallen dramatically and the likely cause is the Budget Control Act of 2011.  This Bill enacted a series of budget cuts that hit non-defense discretionary programs — the category that includes most housing assistance for low-income families — particularly hard.

The report states that this chronic underfunding has made it increasingly difficult for agencies to maintain public housing developments. When developments deteriorate to the point at which they become uninhabitable or too costly to renovate, agencies must demolish or sell them. On average, this leads to the loss of about 10,000 units of public housing each year.  

Read the full report online at the cbpp.org website.

 

5 Scams to be Ready For

Bank of the West posted on the five scams that are  either new or ongoing that people should be aware of when dealing with financial issues. They are; 

• FTC Scam
• Social Security "Get Protected" Scam
• IRS Scam 
• Credit Card Fraud Department Scam
• Mortgage Closing Costs Scam

See any you haven't heard of yet? Take a look online to learn just a little bit more in the brief summary of the scams, along with a few good tips on how to protect yourself and your clients online by clicking here.

Oh, and this week the Fed left interest rates alone.  Shocking.  Read more about that story ..... well, everywhere else.  See you in May!

2016 ARELLO® Mid-Year Meeting this week in Atlanta, GA

VanEd is at the 2016 Mid-Year Meetings of the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials this week. 

The meetings open today and run through Saturday in Atlanta, GA.  

The Mid-Year meetings of International Regulators are where new rules and regulations, as well as law and policy, are discussed. Jurisdictions share new methods for oversight and enforcement and affiliates present new ideas.  

Regulators will hold two sessions to discuss recent events surrounding the real estate licensing exams and changes to the education standards for distance education, and affiliates and administrators will take part in round table discussions related to key industry issues that affect licensees.

A full schedule of events (and Conference Apps) are available online at the ARELLO web site and attendees open the meetings with a Welcome Reception that starts at 5:30pm (or...now) and the Keynote presentation is set for Friday morning. VanEd will post a report on the event after we return!

Keynote Presentation - 10:30-12:00 April 15th "Riding the Waves Without Getting Wet: How to Manage Change in Today's Workplace" ~Mike Hourigan Bad economy. Poor morale. Sweeping changes. How can you keep your head above water while the stormy seas of absurdity churn around you? This program shares strategies for managing change in organizations swirling in the turbulent waters of change.

 

Nebraska Real Estate Commission hosting Instructor Development Workshop

The following information regarding a free Instructor Development Workshop (IDW) was received by VanEd. We are passing along this valuable opportunity to all of our instructors. After reviewing the content we believe this is an excellent opportunity for all instructors.

Every two years the Nebraska Real Estate Commission sponsors an Instructor Development Workshop (IDW) for Pre-licensing and Continuing Education instructors of real estate. This year we will be serving Broker Approved Training (BAT) Providers as well.  I’m thrilled to announce that we have scheduled an excellent two-day Workshop July 30 and 31, hosted by the Nebraska Real Estate Commission at no charge to participants. The IDW will be held at the Jack J. Huck Continuing Education Center of Southeast Community College at 301 S. 68^th Street Place, Lincoln NE. This is just a block south of the 68^th and “O” Street intersection.

A total of 12 Continuing Education hours are available for Instructors and Providers who attend. We added BAT this year, and thus, sent out more invitations to this IDW than in the past. Because space is limited, only persons qualified to participate in each session will be registered. We want to make sure there is space for you to attend the session that is just right for you.

• Three hours on Thursday morning we will have the opportunity to hear from Dr. Larry Fabrey of Applied Measurement Professionals (AMP) regarding the background and construction of the licensing exam. This is the year in a five year cycle that there will be minor changes to the blueprint of the exam and you will get to hear about it first. Great time for your questions about the exam. This session should be attended by instructors and providers of Pre-licensing education.
• Three hours on Thursday afternoon we will be going in depth on the requirements, forms, and 2015 changes to Pre-licensing, Continuing Education, and Broker Approved Training. This session should be attended by anyone that is responsible for submitting courses for approval or reporting course attendance – Pre-licensing, Continuing Education and Broker Approved Training.
• Six hours on Friday we will have the pleasure of participating in an engaging day with Mark Barker, Distinguished Real Estate Instructor (DREI), owner of Career Education Systems Inc., the largest real estate school in the Mid-West. Topics will include course design, checking for understanding, and active participation strategies. This course should be attended by anyone that provides or instructs – Pre-licensing, Continuing Education, Broker Approved Training.

Attendees will have the opportunity to choose any or all of the three sessions for which they are qualified when they register with the attached form.

Because continuing education (CE) instructors are approved through the CE Provider, I am relying upon the CE Providers to not only encourage their instructors to attend, but also to disseminate registration forms to them. Potential instructors are welcome, too. If you have identified members in the community who might become members of your faculty, this is a good opportunity for them to gain skills that may prepare them for accepting teaching responsibilities.

The Nebraska Real Estate Commission strongly encourages participation in this Workshop and is hosting the event so that there will be no charge to participants. Thank you for conveying our enthusiasm for this event to your colleagues. Within a week of receiving your registration, NREC will notify you by E-mail of the sessions for which you are approved. If, for any reason, you are registered for one or more of the sessions and find out you cannot attend, please contact the Nebraska Real Estate Commission immediately at (402)-471-2004 in case there are interested parties waiting for a spot in the class.

Lunch will be on your own each day. A map with locations of neighboring restaurants will be available.

Register soon! Sessions may fill.   -->   Download Registration Form

VanEd Presents: Nebraska Real Estate License Law & Agency Relationships ~ Only Available Online!

For applicants seeking licensure in Nebraska through recognition of a current license from another jurisdiction, this course meets the 3-hour required License Act & Statutes requirement. This course is now available first online and you can click here to learn more.

This course contains information that is specific to the state of Nebraska, and covers aspects of Nebraska real estate license law and laws and rules governing agency relationships.

While this course is designed specifically to meet the Nebraska requirements for license recognition it is also useful to current licensees looking to increase their awareness of the license law. For current licensees this course does provide 3-hours of Required Continuing Education credit. Click Here to Register!

Table of Contents

1. Findings - This unit covers Legislative findings and agency relations
2. Brokerage Services - In this unit we discuss the designated broker and commission interpretations
3. Other Information - The commission and tasks performed by licensees are discussed in this unit

At the conclusion of the part of the course, the student will be able to;

• Define the various types of agency relationships
• List the required duties of licensees in a transaction
• Summarize agency and what it means to all parties involved in a transaction

All course assignments are required and the student should make certain they read and review all of the information presented. This course is completed with a multiple choice final exam. Certificates will reflect the following course approval information from the Nebraska Real Estate Commission.

CE Approval ID #0021R  |  Pre-License Approval ID #0604R   Click Here to Learn More and Register online!

VanEd Presents: Real Estate Marketing ~ Our Newest TREC Approved SAE Course

VanEd is proud to announce that our newest online course, Real Estate Marketing - No. 0511, is now approved for 30 hours of SAE credit for Texas REALTORS and Licensees.

This course covers all of the TREC required elements, including real estate professionalism and ethics, characteristics of successful salesperson, time management, psychology of marketing, listing procedures, advertising, negotiating and closing, financing, and the Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act.

To help prepare the student to understand and work with the  principles of marketing within the rules and regulations of the  profession, this course will endeavor to see that at the end of the  course the student will be able to:

• Identify rules relating to professionalism and ethics

• Discover the characteristics of the successful salesperson

• Recognize good time management practices

• Discover some aspects of the psychology of marketing

How do we decide what to do in any particular situation we encounter where a decision has to be made? What influences act upon us to help us decide on a course of action? Where did you get the guidelines or the inner voice that tells you which way to proceed?

In this course we will examine these important questions in order to create opportunities for students to demonstrate success in their own Real Estate Marketing.

 

Click Here to view the full course details or to register for this course today!

 

Understanding Designated Brokerage - Notes from the Field (In Memoriam)

After a distinguished career with the U.S. Air Force, Rick Madden began a new career in real estate where he worked in sales and as a broker, then as a trainer before moving to the Division of Real Estate. In his role at the Division Mr. Madden led the industry into the new era of online education. He worked closely with ARELLO, CAR and VanEd to help gain approval for the (then) new 168-hour pre-licensing courses. After retiring from the Commission he became a Senior Instructor with VanEd, even instructing for a year from Germany. In August of 2007 Rick was again an industry leader accepting an appointment to the first Education Task Force appointed by the Colorado Real Estate Commission. After retiring he spent time with friends and family and volunteering with his favorite charities, including Habitat for Humanity. 

On August 8, 2014 Rick Madden passed away peacefully. All of us at VanEd, and in fact all who knew Rick, have been enriched by working with and knowing him. We send our support and share in the sorrow of his passing. In honor of his time with us and his unassailable contribution to the real estate industry we are re-posting one of his posts written during his time with us here at VanEd.

God Speed, Sir. You will be missed.

 

 

A Policy Manual Prescription – or Why Are We Doing This?

One of the common misconceptions surrounding designated brokerage in Colorado - four-plus years after its inception - is that a designated broker is a form of brokerage relationship. And, to compound the misunderstanding, the statue requires employing brokers to designate in writing a broker to serve a buyer/seller/tenant/landlord.

Designated brokerage is NOT a brokerage relationship. There are only two of those in Colorado - agency and transaction brokerage. A different statute requires a written office policy delineating the broker's choice(s) - a topic for another article. Designated Brokerage was formed to sever the brokerage relationship in multi-person brokerages from the firm, the employing broker and any employed associate brokers within the firm - period. Designated brokerage should not be uttered in the same breath with - nor written in the same office policy statement as - the type of brokerage relationships.

So in Colorado we have a statutory make-work requirement. 1)...must appoint a designated broker in writing.  2) Oops,that's to much paperwork so the commission wrote a rule (E-38) enabling an employing broker to write an office policy that says one or more of 7 different things.

The result is that office policies are written which copy the verbatim the verbose Rule E-38, with no thought as to applicability within the office. So, why are we doing all of this anyhow? Property restructured, the statue could simply decree what designated brokerage is AND indicate the signs of its implementation.

Since it does not, however, here is a suggested, condensed office policy that could apply in any office policy manual and perhaps save several trees along the way. In fact it might even serve as a template for a revised Rule E-38...

Broker Designation Policy

          "In this firm, a broker who signs any commission-approved employment (listing) contract, or "Brokerage Disclosure to Buyer" form, is automatically designated to serve that client in a brokerage relationship that does not extend to he firm or any other licensee. [If the broker signs as a member of a recognized team within the firm, then both the designation and the brokerage relationship extend to all members of the team.**] The employing broker has the right and duty to insure unbroken continuity of that designation by notifying the client in writing of additional or replacement designated brokers as necessary." (Reference C.R.S. 12-61-803(6)(a) and Commission Rule E-38)

** this statement should be included only if a separate policy in the manual permits and details the process for formation and approval of teams.

Next time, let's look at what's really happening with the choice of brokerage relationships. In the meantime, let's keep it real, and simple.

Guest Author Rick Madden is a former DRE staff member and school administrator. He was an educator, reviewer and trainer for various entities including VanEd.

Mr. Madden's experience, compassion and humor will be missed by all who knew him.