1. Check your smoke alarms: Make sure that you have working smoke alarms on every level of your home, including inside and outside of sleeping areas. Test them monthly and replace the batteries at least once a year.
   
2. Create a fire escape plan: Make sure that everyone in your household knows what to do in case of a fire. Practice your escape plan regularly and have a designated meeting spot a safe distance from your home.
   
3. Be careful with candles: Never leave candles unattended. Keep them away from anything that could catch fire, such as curtains or other flammable materials. Use candle holders that are sturdy and won’t tip over easily.
   
4. Keep your kitchen safe: Cooking is the leading cause of home fires, so it’s important to be careful in the kitchen. Never leave food cooking unattended, keep flammable materials away from the stove, and make sure that you have a fire extinguisher nearby.
   
5. Stay warm safely: If you use a space heater, make sure that it’s at least three feet away from anything that could catch fire. Don’t leave it unattended; never use an extension cord with a space heater.

Remember, fire prevention is everyone’s responsibility. Take these steps to protect yourself and your loved ones from the dangers of fire.

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After taking this course, the student will be able to:

• Defining the problem
• Collecting and selecting the data
• Analyzing the data
• Reconciliation and final value opinion
• Communicating the appraisal
• Scope of work will be defined and illustrated and its importance will be stressed.

Course Information

• This is a four-day, 30-hour course.
• It is categorized as Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission-developed for use in PA Broker Licensing. See the Polley Associates free Pennsylvania Broker Guide for more information.
• It is worth two credits toward earning a Pennsylvania real estate broker license.
• Depending on Commission requirements issued during any renewal cycle, it has the potential to fulfill up to 14 hours of mandatory continuing education for salesperson’s or broker’s license renewal.

Student Material: This course may be accompanied by in-class materials distributed by Polley Associates.

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NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. – Polley Associates School of Real Estate in Newtown Square, Pa., has acquired the Schlicher-Kratz Institute from Ohio-based Hondros Education Group. The purchase became effective July 1.

Polley Associates’ classes for real estate broker and salesperson licensing, real estate appraiser certification, and real estate sales and appraiser continuing education, have helped launch and guide the careers of thousands of successful real estate professionals across Pennsylvania and New Jersey since 1971.

Polley Associates and Hondros Education Group (HEG), and their ownership families, have collaborated as educational allies for decades. In their latest venture, Polley will operate Schlicher-Kratz with an enlarged faculty of talented instructors, and continue to create in-classroom, online, and blended-learning courses that appeal to a growing audience of savvy, consumer-oriented real estate entrepreneurs.

“This new acquisition positions Polley Associates to expand its accessibility to all students,” Hugo C. Weber Jr., the company’s CEO and education director, said. “It leverages the experience, expertise, and award-winning quality of both brands for the benefit of real estate sales industry veterans and newcomers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.”

HEG will support Polley’s content and curriculum with online education for real estate and appraisal licensees in both states. Additionally, HEG will operate the Schlicher-Kratz mortgage education division, with its popular and well-known Learn Mortgage and CompuCram brands.

“We have had a strong relationship with the leadership of Polley Associates for more than 30 years,” Linda Hondros, CEO of Hondros Education Group, added. “Bringing together Polley Associates and Schlicher-Kratz not only strengthens their position in the market, but provides more resources on which real estate brokers and salespersons, and certified residential and general appraisers, can rely.”

Although its corporate headquarters are located only 12 miles west of Center City Philadelphia, Polley Associates conducts classes throughout Pennsylvania, with locations in Montgomery, Delaware, Chester, Bucks, Philadelphia, Allegheny, Blair, Centre, Erie, Lawrence, Washington, Greene, and Westmoreland counties. The acquisition will add several Schlicher-Kratz classrooms to the busy mix.

Polley Associates’ New Jersey-licensed operations are headquartered in Moorestown.

Strategic industry partnerships, like that with Polley Associates, also boosts the growth of Hondros Education Group, said its president, Tina Lapp. “We are here to support our partners in ways that are meaningful to them,” she noted. “By providing creative solutions, we embrace and share their dedication to student success.”

About Polley Associates

Polley Associates has been teaching students how to be successful in real estate since 1971. For more than 40 years, Polley Associates has been one of the most successful real estate schools in the United States. They are headquartered in Newtown Square, Pa., (12 miles west of Center City Philadelphia), and offer courses and seminars at many locations throughout Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. Polley Associates offers real estate sales license (pre-license), advanced level courses, and non-credit courses on timely topics, designed to meet the specific needs of real estate salespeople, appraisers, brokers, and realty firm owners. More than 80 percent of Polley Associates’ students are referred to its classes by its alumni. For more information, visit polleyassociates.com

About Hondros Education Group

Hondros Education Group is a leading national provider of professional education. With more than 50 years of experience, HEG has educated more than 1 million students through its family of brands consisting of Hondros College, Arizona School of Real Estate & Business, Hogan School of Real Estate, Hondros Learning, CompuCram, Learn Mortgage, and Hondros College of Business. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Hondros Education Group offers online and in-classroom courses, exam prep solutions, and textbooks for the real estate, mortgage, appraisal, insurance, and home inspection industries. For more information, visit hondroseducationgroup.com

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The two-day SRS® Designation Course provides a comprehensive foundation of skill development, training, and resources to help real estate professionals represent the interests of sellers in today’s marketplace.

Students learn to:

• Increase listings and grow their business;
• Demonstrate and communicate their value package to seller clients;
• Understand and apply the Code of Ethics & Standards of Practice;
• Understand and comply with state license laws when representing sellers; and
• Understand and apply methods, tools, and techniques to provide the support and services that sellers want and need.

SRS® is the premiere seller agency designation to recognize real estate professionals who have completed special education in seller representation. It was created in 2006 by three recipients of the National Association of REALTORS® Distinguished Service Award: Bruce Aydt, Adorna O. Carroll, and Steve Casper.

On January 2, 2014, the designation became a wholly-owned division of the Chicago-based Council of Real Estate Brokerage Managers, a not-for-profit affiliate of the NAR®. The council in May 2015 was renamed the Real Estate Business Institute®. The SRS® is recognized by NAR® as an official designation.

Course Information

• This is a two-day, 15-hour course.
• It is categorized as Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission-approved for use in PA Broker Licensing. See the Polley Associates free Pennsylvania Broker Guide for more information.
• It is worth one credit toward earning a Pennsylvania real estate broker license.
• Depending on Commission requirements issued during any renewal cycle, it has the potential to fulfill up to 14 hours of mandatory continuing education for salesperson’s or broker’s license renewal.

Student Material: This course may be accompanied by in-class materials distributed by Polley Associates.

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After taking this course, the student will be able to identify quality tenants, as well as those who are poor risks; develop an effective property management system; compare lease contracts and select one that meets the needs of both landlord and customer; compare management contracts and select one that meets the needs of both owner and manager; predict and prevent potential management problems; use and benefit from the Section 8 program; explain property management contracts and leases; select special contract provisions that solve unique problems; develop a property management contract that benefits both manager and client; establish a Fair Housing Policy and avoid accidental violations; evaluate real estate investment opportunities from a management perspective; complete a lease contract. 

Course Information

• This is a four-day, 30-hour course.
• It is categorized as Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission-developed for PA Broker Licensing. See the Polley Associates free Pennsylvania Broker Guide for more information.
• It is worth two credits toward earning a Pennsylvania real estate broker license.
• Depending on Commission requirements issued during any renewal cycle, it has the potential to fulfill up to 14 hours of mandatory continuing education for salesperson’s or broker’s license renewal.

Student Material: This course may be accompanied by in-class materials distributed by Polley Associates.

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The overall goals of the ABR® Designation Course are to 1) prepare real estate professionals to thoroughly represent buyer-clients in real estate transactions, and provide the quality of service and degree of fidelity to buyers that sellers have customarily enjoyed; 2) offer ideas and methods for building a buyer-representation business; and 3) develop a self-customized tool for conducting a buyer counseling session.

Students learn to:

• Win the buyer as a client;
• Form a buyer relationship;
• Put buyer representation into action;
• Make offers, counter offers, and engage in negotiations;
• Bring transactions to a successful close; and
• Win repeat business and referrals.

The Real Estate Buyer’s Agents Council® (REBAC®) was founded in 1988, in part to promote exclusive buyer agency. Over several years it redefined its mission to endorse buyer representation in all its legally-recognized forms, altered its direction and strategy, and expanded its sphere of operation. REBAC® membership grew significantly, along with public interest in buyer representation.

That resulted in changes to state real estate regulations, away from sub-agency – especially undisclosed dual agency – and toward direct representation of buyers. NAR® purchased REBAC® in November 1996, and the council has continued to oversee the ABR® Designation course and others.

Course Information

• This is a two-day, 15-hour course.
• It is categorized as Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission-approved for use in PA Broker Licensing. See the Polley Associates free Pennsylvania Broker Guide for more information.
• It is worth one credit toward earning a Pennsylvania real estate broker license.
• Depending on Commission requirements issued during any renewal cycle, it has the potential to fulfill up to 14 hours of mandatory continuing education for salesperson’s or broker’s license renewal.

Student Material: This course may be accompanied by in-class materials distributed by Polley Associates.

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“Real Estate Investment” is a Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission-developed course useful in obtaining a Pennsylvania real estate broker license.

Private property rights in the United States give an owner the power to designate to whom the property will pass upon his or her death. That means owners can effectively translate their work into tangible real and personal property assets as an estate to be enjoyed and controlled by others in the future. The ability to accumulate measurably valuable estate, and to generate a revenue stream, is a prime reason for the nation’s high and continuing interest in real estate investments of all types.

Real Estate Investment covers forms of ownership in real property, conducting feasibility studies and financial analyses of real estate investments, sources of funds and types of financing, income tax considerations for investors; investments in land, residential properties, office buildings, commercial real estate including strip stores and shopping centers, and industrial properties, and the markets for each; and specialty and alternate investment opportunities.

Course Information

• This is a four-day, 30-hour course.
• It is categorized as Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission–developed for PA Broker Licensing. See the Polley Associates free Pennsylvania Broker Guide for more information.
• It is worth two credits toward earning a Pennsylvania real estate broker license.
• Depending on Commission requirements issued during any renewal cycle, it has the potential to fulfill up to 14 hours of mandatory continuing education for salesperson’s or broker’s license renewal.

Student Material: This course may be accompanied by in-class materials distributed by Polley Associates.

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“Real Estate Finance” is a Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission–developed course useful in obtaining a Pennsylvania real estate broker license.

Financing, the practice of lending and borrowing money, is fundamental to the real estate business. If mortgage financing was not available, buyers would be required to pay cash for their homes. Few could afford to do that. The course has a practical focus: it explains the basic process of obtaining a loan to purchase a home and discusses financing options available to home buyers.

This course covers finance and investments, federal fiscal and monetary policy, primary and secondary mortgage markets, mortgage industry components, a variety of financing instruments, the basic features of a residential loan, the financing process from shopping for to closing on a loan, qualifying buyers, qualifying properties, the basics of conventional financing, FHA-insured loans and their rules, VA-guaranteed loans and their rules, seller financing options, and fair lending and consumer protection laws.

Course Information

• This is a four-day, 30-hour course.
• It is categorized as Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission-developed for PA Broker Licensing. See the Polley Associates free Pennsylvania Broker Guide for more information.
• It is worth two credits toward earning a Pennsylvania real estate broker license.
• Depending on Commission requirements issued during any renewal cycle, it has the potential to fulfill up to 14 hours of mandatory continuing education for salesperson’s or broker’s license renewal.

Student Material: This course may be accompanied by in-class materials distributed by Polley Associates.190725

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“Real Estate Law” is a Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission course required to obtain a Pennsylvania real estate broker license.

This technical and often confusing topic is reduced to an understandable level for competent applications.

Some of the topics that will be covered in Real Estate Law include: “Legalese” (Terminology), the historical perspective of property rights, acquisition by title, instruments of conveyance (settlement), agreements of sale, deeds, financial considerations, and documents of financing.

Course Information

• This is a four-day, 30-hour course.
• It is categorized as Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission-required for PA Broker Licensing.
• Polley Associates Guide to Becoming a Real Estate Broker
• It is worth two credits toward earning a Pennsylvania real estate broker license.
• Depending on Commission requirements issued during any renewal cycle, it has the potential to fulfill up to 14 hours of mandatory continuing education for salesperson’s or broker’s license renewal.

Student Material: This course may be accompanied by in-class materials distributed by Polley Associates.

The post Broker Course: Real Estate Law appeared first on Polley Associates School of Real Estate.

Today’s real estate consumers know more about the business, and demand more from real estate salespeople, than ever before. They are well-informed, and usually what they don’t know can be quickly found on their Internet-capable cell phones. Only agents who are dedicated and skilled are likely to earn their loyalty, business, and trust. Agent responsiveness – his or her service – must be thorough, unique, and customized to meet clients’ specific needs. Remember: agent compensation is directly tied to agent dedication, efficiency, and productivity.

This course covers both basic and advanced techniques in real estate sales, including creating a prospecting system from source networks, farms, spheres of influence, and unexpected opportunities; listing and selling skills that include the qualifying seller and buyer prospects, offering listing presentations, counseling on price, meeting seller and buyer challenges; and ensuring sellers and buyers alike receive proper service and attention.

Course Information

• This is a four-day, 30-hour course.
• It is categorized as Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission-developed for PA Broker Licensing. See the Polley Associates free Pennsylvania Broker Guide for more information.
• It is worth two credits toward earning a Pennsylvania real estate broker license.
• Depending on Commission requirements issued during any renewal cycle, it has the potential to fulfill up to 14 hours of mandatory continuing education for salesperson’s or broker’s license renewal.

Student Material: This course may be accompanied by in-class materials distributed by Polley Associates.

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