Real Estate Education is the Key to Making a Smart Home Purchase

With credit starting to flow again, many families with reasonable down payments are receiving the go-ahead to proceed with the home buying process. And with home buyer incentives more attractive than ever, there's no time like the present to obtain your real estate license and educate buyers on how to make a successful home purchase.

Differentiate yourself from the competition - don't just help your buyers select a home. Educate them with these smart, "tried and true" principles so they can enjoy the long-term rewards of homeownership:

1. Borrow within your means. Just because your buyers receive lender approval for a specific mortgage amount doesn't necessarily mean the monthly payments will fit their budget. The old-school tradition - a "safe" home mortgage is no more than three times a buyer's annual family income - is one that certainly should be reinstated.

2. Understand local markets. Don't rely on national trends alone - Understand the housing market in the specific area where your client wants to live. Factors to pay attention to include:

-Foreclosure statistics
-Price movements
-Local job market strength
-Lack/abundance of newly built homes
-Prices of comparable sales in the neighborhood
-Average length of time a home is listed before it sells

3. Beware of price warning signs in the next cycle. Continuous price run-ups should raise a big red flag. From 2000 to 2005, U.S. housing prices rose by an average of 53%. Many housing markets experienced an increase that was even greater, including Nevada at 94%, Florida at 90% and California at 109%.

4. Buy for the long term. Now is not the ideal time to make a quick profit in the housing market. Since it is unclear when prices will bounce back, advise your clients to stay put for the long haul when buying this year.

5. Save smart for a down payment. While it's true that tying up all of your equity in a mortgage can deplete your emergency cash cushion, the market is starting to stabilize and there are definite advantages of a big down payment. Putting down between 15-20% will ultimately be beneficial in the form of higher equity, lower payments, better interest rates and more readily accessible financing.

These simple guidelines can help your clients make smarter home buying decisions. Plus, many economists agree - there is light at the end of the tunnel. For example, Harvy Rosenblum, executive vice president and director of research for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, believes our economy will show marked improvement in the coming year and should be back on track by 2011.

It's time to think big. Choose to work within the confines of a cubicle, or become your own boss, see potential beyond media hype and pursue the rewarding real estate career challenges you know you can handle. Get your real estate license online in your free time and tap into this market. You can turn the home ownership dreams of qualified buyers into reality and be prepared to take on the next market upswing.

Labels: become a real estate agent, California real estate license, home buying, real estate career, real estate education, real estate training

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Jumpstart Your Career with Online Real Estate Broker Training

Enrolling in courses at an online real estate broker school is one of the best career moves you can make. These days, despite the economy, having a job in real estate can be very rewarding -- especially for brokers. The income potential is solid; and you can even start your own agency!

In order to start a real estate broker career, you'll need the right education and training. There are online broker classes you can take, which enable you to study day or night. To receive the best real estate broker education possible, you should check the online school's credentials (look for national accreditation) and read testimonials from other students. Additionally, conduct research to determine what online real estate school helps students find jobs after successful completion of the course -- this can be an asset to your new broker career.

An online real estate broker school provides the following benefits:
- The ability to complete your broker training from the comfort of your home
- The ability to choose when and where you want to learn, and study at your own pace
- Access to quality broker license classes 24/7
- Assistance with preparing for the state exam
- Assistance with finding a job

Distance education courses are fast, convenient, and user friendly. They are also an inexpensive way to get all the training you need -- you save on gas, parking fees and babysitter costs. When you sign up for courses at an online real estate broker school, you take your education into your own hands. Learn at your own pace -- you can move at a regular or accelerated pace.

Getting your education through an online real estate broker school will provide you with many advantages -- before you know it, you'll be prepared to start your own agency. If you are skeptical about distance education, then set aside your worries -- online classes are the future of learning. A good online real estate broker school has great instructors that truly care about their students. They will work with you every single step of the way -- and help you reach your career goals.

Labels: broker training, online real estate broker school, real estate broker career, real estate education, real estate training

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Don't Let Gas Prices Keep You From Getting Ahead

You want to get your real estate license, but with rising gas prices you don't want to travel back and forth to school everyday. What do you do? You can get your real estate license online by enrolling in a distance education course.

High gas prices are affecting everyone around the nation. When it costs the majority of Americans more than $50 to fill up their cars (MSNBC online survey), they are going to opt for cheaper alternatives. With telecommuting, home-based businesses and home schooling, there are many opportunities to conduct daily activities from home. Why not get an education from home?

Distance education enables you to pursue your real estate education without having to drive to a different location. You can attend an online real estate school from home. With online or traditional home study courses, you can advance your career through the use of your computer or textbooks, CDs, study guides, and more. Get ahead while you save money!

According to MSNBC, many people have changed their driving habits to cut down on gas costs, oftentimes staying home instead of using their car. With today's educational alternatives, you can do it all from home. Don't make your real estate education an exception.

Get your real estate license today by enrolling in an online real estate course. You can advance your career without cutting into your wallet.

Labels: distance education, real estate education, real estate license

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