Real Estate Broker Requirements

TREC - Broker Application Information -- Licensee Info Search Quick Links -- To Popular Pages -- Licensee Info Search R. E. Contract Forms Renew or Apply Online Salesperson Application Real Estate License Forms Education Providers Core R.E. Course List Freq. Asked Questions Real Estate License Act TREC Rules Data File Downloads License Information Licensing Main Page MCE Requirements FAQs Timeshare Registration Residential Service Company Program Licensed Residential Service Companies Fee Schedule Applications, Requirements Applications & Other License Forms Real Estate Salesperson Requirements Real Estate Broker Requirements R.E. Broker (Corporation & LLC) Requirements Candidate Info. Brochure Reciprocity Information Inspector Applications Renew Your License Renewing a Salesperson License Renewing a Broker License Online Renewal (Brokers, 2yr Salespersons) Duplicate of License Renewal Notice Inspector Renewals KEY To Symbols =Page is in area (folder tab) of this color = Adobe PDF file format = Web site external to TREC Applying to Become a Real Estate Broker (Please Read All Information Carefully) To be eligible to apply for a real estate Broker License, an individual must be a citizen of the United States or a lawfully admitted alien, eighteen (18) years of age or older and a legal resident of Texas. If the applicant is a resident of another state, the applicant must be licensed by that state as a real estate broker. To be eligible to apply for a real estate Broker License, an individual must furnish the Commission satisfactory evidence of successfully completing the following: Not less than two (2) years active experience in Texas as a licensed real estate salesperson or broker during the 96 month period immediately preceding the filing of the application; or If licensed as a broker in another state, not less than two (2) years active experience as a licensed real estate salesperson or broker during the 36 month period immediately preceding the filing of the application. 270 classroom hours of core real estate courses . An additional 630 classroom hours in related courses acceptable to the Commission. Evidence of successful course completion shall be presented via credit transcript or certificate accompanying an application. DO NOT submit original transcripts and/or course completion certificates. Keep the originals for your personal files and send photocopies to the Commission. To be eligible to apply for a real estate Broker License you must first obtain a letter from the Commission attesting to satisfaction of all education requirements. THE EVALUATION OF EDUCATION DOCUMENTS MUST BE PERFORMED BEFORE THE APPLICATION CAN BE FILED. To obtain an evaluation of your education documents submit the form, Request for Evaluation of Education Documents . A fee of $20 is required for the evaluation of education documents for the purpose of determining if education requirements have been satisfied. This fee is good for one year. Please submit copies of your transcripts or course certificates with your request for evaluation. DO NOT submit original documents. The following required fees must be submitted at the time of filing an application. AN APPLICATION RECEIVED WITHOUT THE APPROPRIATE FEES WILL BE REJECTED AND RETURNED. The following fees should be submitted in ONE CHECK OR MONEY ORDER payable to the Texas Real Estate Commission. ALL FEES LISTED BELOW ARE NONREFUNDABLE. Fees Required with Real Estate Broker License Application Fee Amount Comment Original Application $300 Required for all applicants Recovery Trust Account (formerly Recovery Fund) $10 Required for all applicants unlesspreviously paid License examinations are administered by PSI, a testing service company. Once your application has been received, processed and accepted, you will receive notification that you may obtain a copy of the Candidate Information Brochure (CIB) to register for the exam. The CIB will provide instructions on how to make reservations to take the examination and contains study material and instructions about licensing. A copy of the CIB can be downloaded from the PSI web site at http://www.psiexams.com . Please DO NOT attempt to register for the exam without first receiving notification from our office. The filing of an application authorizes an investigation of the applicant's background. Information revealed in an investigation may be cause for disapproval of an application even though other requirements for a license are met. If an investigation is necessary, it may not be conducted until the applicant has passed the examination. State law prohibits issuing more than one license after a licensee has defaulted on astudent loan guaranteed by the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation (TGSLC) unless the licensee has entered into a repayment agreement with TGSLC. YOU SHOULD CONTACT TGSLC BEFORE FILING THIS APPLICATION if you have defaulted on a student loan. An application or renewal may be rejected if this agency has received information from TGSLC that the applicant has defaulted on a student loan. The Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation can be contacted at: Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation P.O. Box 15996 Austin, Texas 78761-5996 Telephone: 1-800-222-6297 The time involved in processing an application depends on work volume. Inquiry as to the status of an application delays processing work. Inquiry should not be made unless there isreason to believe that information submitted to the Commission has not been received. An incomplete application will not be returned for completion. A letter will be mailed requesting the incomplete information. The examination must be passed within six months from the date the application is filed with the commission office. You are not authorized to perform any act for which a real estate license is required until an ACTIVE Texas Real Estate Commission license is in your possession. Submit Documents And Applications On Plain Paper. Do Not Send "Thermal" Type Paper. Page last modified: 11/21/2005 Site Map Privacy & Security Policy Open Records Accessibility Texas Online Statewide Search TX Homeland Security

home equity credit lines

Home Equity Credit Lines Home Equity Credit Lines U sing a credit line to borrow against the equity in your home has become a popular source of consumer credit. And lenders are offering these home equity credit lines in a variety of ways. You will find most loans come with variable interest rates, some come with attractive low introductory rates, and a few come with fixed rates. You also may find most loans have large one-time upfront fees, others have closing costs, and some have continuing costs, such as annual fees. You can find loans with large balloon payments at the end of the loan, and others with no balloons but with higher monthly payments. No one loan is right for every homeowner. The challenge, then, is to contact different lenders, compare options, and select the home equity credit line best tailored to your needs. Be sure to review the home equity contract carefully before you sign it. Do not hesitate to ask questions about the terms and conditions of your financing. To help you do this, you may want to consider the following questions and to use the checklist at the end of this brochure. (We apologize that the checklist is not available on-line. To obtain a copy of the checklist, please request a free copy of the brochure by contacting: Public Reference, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D.C. 20580; (202) 326-2222. TDD call (202) 326-2502.) Is a home equity credit line for you? If you need to borrow money, home equity lines may be one useful source of credit. Initially at least, they may provide you with large amounts of cash at relatively low interest rates. And they may provide you with certain tax advantages unavailable with other kinds of loans. (Check with your tax adviser for details.) At the same time, home equity lines of credit require you to use your home as collateral for the loan. This may put your home at risk if you are late or cannot make your monthly payments. Those loans with a large final (balloon) payment may lead you to borrow more money to pay off this debt, or they may put your home in jeopardy if you cannot qualify for refinancing. And, if you sell your home, most plans require you to pay off your credit line at that time. In addition, because home equity loans give you relatively easy access to cash, you might find you borrow money more freely. Remember too, there are other ways to borrow money from a lending institution. For example, you may want to explore second mortgage installment loans. Although these plans also place an additional mortgage on your home, second mortgage money usually is loaned in a lump sum, rather than in a series of advances made available by writing checks on an account. Also, second mortgages usually have fixed interest rates and fixed payment amounts. You also may want to explore borrowing from credit lines that do not use your home as collateral. These are available with your credit cards or with unsecured credit lines that let you write checks as you need the money. In addition, you may want to ask about loans for specific items, such as cars or tuition. How much money can you borrow on a home equity credit line? Depending on your creditworthiness (your income, credit rating, etc.) and the amount of your outstanding debt, home equity lenders may let you borrow up to 85% of the appraised value of your home minus the amount you still owe on your first mortgage. Ask the lender about the length of the home equity loan, whether there is a minimum withdrawal requirement when you open your account, and whether there are minimum or maximum withdrawal requirements after your account is opened. Inquire how you gain access to your credit line -- with checks, credit cards, or both. Also, find out if your home equity plan sets a fixed time -- a draw period -- when you can make withdrawals from your account. Once the draw period expires, you may be able to renew your credit line. If you cannot, you will not be permitted to borrow additional funds. Also, in some plans, you may have to pay your full outstanding balance. In others, you may be able to repay the balance over a fixed time. What is the interest rate on the home equity loan? Interest rates for loans differ, so it pays to check with several lenders for the lowest rate. Compare the annual percentage rate (APR), which indicates the cost of credit on a yearly basis. Be aware that the advertised APR for home equity credit lines is based on interest alone. For a true comparison of credit costs, compare other charges, such as points and closing costs, which will add to the cost of your home equity loan. This is especially important if you are comparing a home equity credit line with a traditional installment (or second) mortgage, where the APR includes the total credit costs for the loan. In addition, ask about the type of interest rates available for the home equity plan. Most home equity credit lines have variable interest rates. These variable rates may offer lower monthly payments at first, but during the rest of the repayment period the payments may change and may be higher. Fixed interest rates, if available, may be slightly higher initially than variable rates, but fixed rates offer stable monthly payments over the life of the credit line. If you are considering a variable rate, check and compare the terms. Check the periodic cap, which is the limit on interest rate changes at one time. Also, check the lifetime cap, which is the limit on interest rate changes throughout the loan term. Ask the lender which index is used and how much and how often it can change. An index (such as the prime rate) is used by lenders to determine how much to raise or lower interest rates. Also, check the margin, which is an amount added to the index that determines the interest you are charged. In addition, inquire whether you can convert your variable rate loan to a fixed rate at some future time. Sometimes, lenders offer a temporarily discounted interest rate -- a rate that is unusually low and lasts only for an introductory period, such as six months. During this time, your monthly payments are lower too. After the introductory period ends, however, your rate (and payments) increase to the true market level (the index plus the margin). So, ask if the rate you are offered is "discounted," and if so, find out how the rate will be determined at the end of the discount period and how much larger your payments could be at that time. What are the upfront closing costs? When you take out a home equity line of credit, you pay for many of the same expenses as when you financed your original mortgage. These include items such as an application fee, title search, appraisal, attorneys' fees, and points (a percentage of the amount you borrow). These expenses can add substantially to the cost of your loan, especially if you ultimately borrow little from your credit line. You may want to negotiate with lenders to see if they will pay for some of these expenses. What are the continuing costs? In addition to upfront closing costs, some lenders require you to pay continuing fees throughout the life of the loan. These may include an annual membership or participation fee, which is due whether or not you use the account, and/or a transaction fee, which is charged each time you borrow money. These fees add to the overall cost of the loan. What are the repayment terms during the loan? As you pay back the loan, your payments may change if your credit line has a variable interest rate, even if you do not borrow more money from your account. Find out how often and how much your payments can change. You also will want to know whether you are paying back both principal and interest, or interest only. Even if you are paying back some principal, ask whether your monthly payments will cover the full amount borrowed or whether you will owe an additional payment of principal at the end of the loan. In addition, you may want to ask about penalties for late payments and under what conditions the lender can consider you in default and demand immediate full payment. What are the repayment terms at the end of the loan? Ask whether you might owe a large payment at the end of your loan term. If so, and you are not sure you will be able to afford the balloon payment, you may want to renegotiate your repayment terms. When you take out the loan, ask about the conditions for renewal of the plan or for refinancing the unpaid balance. Consider asking the lender to agree ahead of time and in writing to refinance any end-of-loan balance or extend your repayment time, if necessary. What safeguards are built into the loan? One of the best protections you have is the Federal Truth in Lending Act, which requires lenders to inform you about the terms and costs of the plan at the time you are given an application. Lenders must disclose the APR and payment terms and must inform you of charges to open or use the account, such as an appraisal, a credit report, or attorneys' fees. Lenders also must tell you about any variable-rate feature and give you a brochure describing the general features of home equity plans. The Truth in Lending Act also protects you from changes in the terms of the account (other than a variable-rate feature) before the plan is opened. If you decide not to enter into the plan because of a change in terms, all fees you paid earlier must be returned to you. Because your home is at risk when you open a home equity credit account, you have three days to cancel the transaction, for any reason. To cancel, you must inform the lender in writing. Following that, your credit line must be cancelled and all fees you have paid must be returned. Once your home equity plan is opened, if you pay as agreed, the lender, in most cases, may not terminate your plan, accelerate payment of your outstanding balance, or change the terms of your account. The lender may halt credit advances on your account during any period in which interest rates exceed the maximum rate cap in your agreement, if your contract permits this practice. For More Information The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues , visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel , a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION FOR THE CONSUMER 1-877-FTC-HELP www.ftc.gov June 1992

Home Mortgage

Chase Home Finance -- Thinking about purchasing your dream home? You've come to the right place. Chase is the name you can trust for a wide array of home financing solutions to make your dream come true. If you already own your dream home, perhaps you'd like to take advantage of lower rates and refinance. Chase has refinancing solutions, too! -- Thinking about purchasing your dream home? You've come to the right place. Chase is the name you can trust for a wide array of home financing solutions to make your dream come true. If you already own your dream home, perhaps you'd like to take advantage of lower rates and refinance. Chase has refinancing solutions, too! QUICK AND EASY HOME BUYING ADVICE We want to make the home financing process as easy as possible for you. So, here are some tips from the mortgage experts at Chase: Determine how much you can afford. Choose the right loan - a Fixed Rate Mortgage for security and safety - or an Adjustable Rate Mortgage for flexibility and control - or perhaps your situation requires a Special Mortgage for unique borrowing needs. You can check all of today's rates here. Get pre-qualified before you start looking for a new home. You'll get negotiating power and save a lot of time, too. First, fill out a pre-qualification form . Get together all the documents needed in advance. This includes tax returns, W-2s, paycheck stubs, financial statements, etc. This will save time and stress during the application and approval process. Already found your dream home? Apply now with our short online pre-qualification form . Whether you need a mortgage or want to refinance , you can feel right at home with the experts at Chase. We look forward to being your mortgage provider, so contact us today! SEE TODAY'S CHASE RATES HOMEBUYERS!   Get Started Today REFINANCING YOUR MORTGAGE? Get Started Here. Legal Disclosures

Land Loan

Conservation Trust for NC - Emergency Land Protection Loan Fund Blue Ridge Parkway Project Statewide Land Protection Programs Regional Partnerships Emergency Land Protection Loan Fund Conservation Properties for Sale info@ctnc.org 1028 Washington St Raleigh, NC 27605 919-828-4199 (Tel) 919-828-4508 (Fax) Emergency Land Protection Loan Fund The Conservation Trust for North Carolina operates an Emergency Land Protection Loan Fund to enable land trusts to increase their ability to respond to time sensitive land and water protection needs in their communities and regions. The Emergency Land Protection Fund is critical to the protection of properties highly threatened by development. The Conservation Trust has operated the Fund since 2001 thanks to generous donations from a key supporter. One hundred percent of the Emergency Land Protection Loan Fund is invested in land. Loans from the fund are repaid by local land trusts within twelve months at a low interest rate, allowing funds to be continuously reinvested in highly threatened properties. Thus far, the Fund has been used to protect 974 acres in North Carolina’s mountains. The vast majority of the funds are dedicated to protecting land in the mountains. Properties protected through the Emergency Land Protection Loan Fund Ruby Bend - Land Trust for the Little Tennessee The protected property consists of 61 acres on the Little Tennessee Rive in Macon County. The property is adjacent to the Needmore property, which has been the state’s highest priority river conservation project in Western North Carolina. The land helps to protect half the native freshwater fish species in the state, including the state’s greatest cluster of freshwater mussels. Beech Creek Bog - Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust This 120-acre bog is the largest and the most pristine example of a bog community existing in the state. The bog was transferred November 1, 2002 to NC Parks and Recreation and will be managed for the public to enjoy as the new Beech Creek Bog State Natural Area. Water Quality and Endangered Habitat - High Country Conservancy This 22-acre parcel in Watauga County was purchased to protect forested mountain slopes containing habitat for rare and endangered species, a buffer zone for a protected old-growth forest on Blue Ridge Parkway land, and a tributary of Winkler’s Creek - a source of the town of Boone’s water supply. Catawba River - Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina This 771-acre tract in McDowell County was given a highest preservation priority on the Catawba River Headwater Streams Riparian Conservation Design. The undeveloped forests on the property hosts seven source water streams, five of which drain to the Left Prong of the Catawba River. The property also protects scenic vistas from the Blue Ridge escarpment between Black Mountain and Old Fort. Home • About Us • Land & Water Protection • Policy/ Adcovacy Events/ Press Room • For Landowners • Partners • Find Your Local Land Trust

Real Estate Broker

BuyMyself - Canale, IRED Attitude & News Home Directories Int'l Realty US Realty BuyMyself Choosing A Real Estate Agent By Stephen M. Canale, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA There's a common saying in the real estate industry regarding the vast number of agents in the business: "If you don't have any friends who are agents, then you probably don't have any friends at all." With so many agent out there, how can you make an intelligent decision? Do you choose a friend, neighbor or coworker? Should you work with an agent at a large firm, a small firm, a franchise or an independent? While there's an exception to every rule, and every marketplace has its own nuances, here are some solid rules to apply when you want the best representation to protect your interests. Demand Experience The real estate profession is plagued by high turnover. This creates a workforce that is made up of many newcomers. While there are brand new agents with good intentions, why trust one of the largest investment you'll ever buy or sell to someone without experience? Always look for an agent with at least two years of experience. Anyone still in the business after two years has probably learned at least the fundamentals of real estate. Look for Commitment Another problem we have in the industry is a large number of part time and recreational salespeople. These folks have either retired from some other career, work in real estate seasonally or are earning a second income for the family and honestly don't need to work full time. No matter how long they have been in real estate, their lack of full-time commitment makes it impossible for them to keep up with the vast changes in law, marketing and business practices that are occurring in the profession today. If an agent isn't working at least thirty hours a week, fifty weeks a year, look for someone else. Consider Education In the majority of states, the requirements for real estate licensing are substantially less than those for cutting hair. In Michigan, for example, all that is required is a forty-hour class and a multiple choice test. You cannot rely on licensing to indicate competence. And, unfortunately, many agent's real estate education ends with their pre-license education. While there are numerous advanced real estate education courses available, the only technical and competence based program available nationwide is the Graduate, REALTORS® Institute (GRI) series, which is administered under the direction of the National Association of REALTORS®. A REALTOR® who completes the fifteen eight-hour modules, and passes examinations, may then use the designation of GRI. While only 15%-20% of agents have earned this accreditation, it should not be too difficult finding a GRI in your marketplace as they will commonly print the designation behind their name in advertising as well as on letterhead and business cards. Conduct Interviews Before you hire an agent to help you buy or sell a home, you should interview at least three agents in person. In order to do this, first get recommendations from friends, family and neighbors. Then look on the web, in homes magazines and the local newspaper to see what kind of marketing the various companies are doing in your area and call a few that impress you. Then make brief fact-finding calls to determine which of the agents on your list are full time, experienced and either hold the GRI designation or are at least working aggressively toward it. You will probably need to call ten to fifteen agents in order to find three that are worth interviewing. The interview itself need not be a formal one. It is simply an opportunity for you to meet the candidate and explain your needs; and to determine whether you would be comfortable working with them. Ask whatever questions you like, or simply explain your goals and listen carefully to what they propose to do for you in meeting your needs. The decision If you follow the suggestions above, you will find that there are excellent agents working for firms both large and small; both franchised and independent. Thus, the real decision must be made based on the competency of the individual agent you will be working with on a day-to-day basis. Stephen M. Canale is President, Broker/Instructor of Acclaim Residential Marketing Ann Arbor, Michigan | IRED Home | Search IRED | © 1995-2005 IRED.Com, Inc All Rights Reserved