Education & Products
2001-2002 CE Still Available
The 2001-2002 Continuing Education is still available! You can also complete the 2001-2002 continuing education requirements by using either our Video/Internet version or the Self-Study Booklet/ Internet version. Call and register today!
Buyer Agency-You Can Do It Too!
October
14-15, 2003 - Elkhorn
November 3-4,
2003 - Sturgeon Bay
Get in on buyer agency and watch your career take off!
This is turning into one of the WRA's most popular classes as Buyer
Agency is quickly becoming the way buyers are choosing to do business.
This two-day course covers agency, service delivery, marketing and
promotion, and negotiation and risk management.
Buyer Agency Elective Courses
Do you need an elective course to complete your ABR designation?
We will be offering the "Representing the E-Buyer"
on October 16,
2003 in Elkhorn. This course will be taught by Marcie Roggow. The
course examines the concept of e-business and the structures that
support and feed it, and clarifies how the e-consumer and the e-buyer
will change the future of the real estate transaction. The concepts of
finding and acquiring the online customer, determining the status of
an online transaction, and transitioning online and offline customers
into the "For Life Model" are covered in this course.
On
November 13,
2003, we will offer "Innovative Marketing Techniques for
Buyer's Reps" in Sturgeon Bay. It will be taught by Terry Watson.
This course has been designed to increase your awareness of how
significantly the home buying process has changed in the past decade.
Learn how to develop useful strategies for marketing your services to
any homebuyer. This course is for anyone who wants to tie together
their knowledge of homebuyer needs, awareness of marketing principles,
and a solution-oriented approach to serving buyer clients. This course
explores the buyer counseling session in great detail and looks at
marketing opportunities and points of differentiation.
Home Inspectors CE on Video
Modules can be purchased individually or in multiples.
module 1 Standards, Ethics and Report Writing - 4 hours
module 1a Electrical - 4 hours
module 2 Exteriors - 8 hours
module 3 Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning - 8 hours
module 4 Interiors, Insulation, Ventilation, Fireplaces, Basements,
Crawl Spaces - 8 hours
module 5 Structural Systems and Components - 8 hours
Included is the home inspector's "HomeBook," a professional reference
book with more than 365 pages and more than 600 possible inspection
items, detailed drawings and the "what to" and "how to" of repairs.
Is There a Broker's License in Your Future?
Course also available through self-study video or self-study
Internet program!
If you are interested in obtaining your broker's license, you must
complete 36 hours of education. Areas of study include: fair housing
real estate practice, trust accounts, approved forms, conduct and
ethical practices, and more. Distance learning options are available,
or you can attend one of our live courses. The next live course is
scheduled for
October 20-23, 2003 in Madison. This program is also available
through a video self-study version or a self-study internet program.
Completion of this education, passing the exam and applying for the
broker license fulfills the 2003-2004 continuing education.
For New Recruits! Sales Prelicense Course - Madison
This program is also available through self-study
video or a self-study Internet program.
To obtain a real estate license
in the state of Wisconsin, you must complete 72 hours of approved
education courses such as our sales and prelicensing course.
Next, you must pass a state-administered exam. The WRA is offering an eight-day accelerated
72-hour sales program on
Sept. 8-11, 15-18, 2003
and November
3-6, 10-13, 2003 at the WRA in Madison. Brokers can purchase a $50 discount coupon for only $10, which entitles your new recruit to a $50 discount on the registration fee.
Brokers can purchase a $50 discount coupon for only
$10, which entitles your new recruit to a $50 discount on the
registration fee. Call 1-800-279-1972 to register!
Smooth Sailing with Quickstart
New agents will want to attend the four-day QuickStart Program (offered in two parts as two-day sessions). Course contents include working with FSBO and expired listings,
farming, advertising, technology tools, creating a business plan, time management, listing presentations, overcoming objections, working with buyers, closing techniques and more.
Modules 1 and 2 will be offered
October 6-7
in Madison, and Modules 3 and 4 will be offered on
November
17-18, 2003 in Madison. The fee is only $230; however, the WRA
offers a new member discount of $40, making the cost of this course
only $190. This is a fantastic price for four days of instruction for
new agents.
Upon completion of the four modules, participants are
eligible to take a GRI Course 1 Equivalency Exam. Those who pass the
exam may move directly into GRI Courses 2 or 3, which are scheduled on Feb. 17-20,
2004 in Baraboo.
Earn Your GRI
When you become a REALTOR®, you agree to provide the best possible service you can for your customers and clients. Part of this process involves staying educated about current changes in the real estate industry. The GRI program is one of the best tools to stay on top of your game.
GRI stands for Graduate
REALTORS® Institute. The GRI designation acknowledges REALTORS® who have completed a comprehensive program that provides practical real estate training. To earn a GRI designation, you must complete three 4-day courses (GRI 1, 2 and 3) and pass an exam on each course. The WRA's GRI program has the added benefit of including CRS courses as part of the content of the GRI courses. This means that while you are working on your GRI designation, you are also completing coursework for the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) designation.
GRI Course 1 - You Have Options!
-
Pass the online version of the GRI Course 1 Equivalency Exam. Register for the exam and you can complete it on the Internet. Cost is $85
-
Register for the GRI Course 1 Equivalency Exam at
your local Board/Association - cost: $85
-
Complete the 4 days of Quickstart and pass exam
-
Complete an approved company training program and pass exam
GRI Course 2 and GRI Course 3 will be held February 17-20, 2004 at Ho Chunk Hotel, Baraboo, Wisconsin.
Mark Your Calendars for Appraisal CE!
Sept. 23,
2003 Wisconsin Dells
The Technology Assisted Appraiser 7 hrs. credit
Oct. 7, 2003
Brookfield
Oct. 8, 2003
Madison
Effective Appraisal Writing 7 hrs. credit
Nov. 19, 2003
Appleton
Nov. 20, 2003
Madison
Nov. 21, 2003
Brookfield
Predatory Lending-Crossing the Line 3.5 hrs. credit
Appraising Environmentally Contaminated Property 3.5 hrs. credit
Dec. 8, 2003
Madison
Dec. 11, 2003
Brookfield
How to Analyze and Value Commercial Real Estate 7 hrs. credit
Dec. 9, 2003
Wisconsin Dells
Dec. 10, 2003
Appleton
USPAP Update
Will be submitted for Wisconsin appraiser, Assessor
CE, Michigan Appraiser and Minnesota Appraiser CE.
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Three Reasons to Save for Retirement Today!
For many people, investing for retirement is like diet and
exercise. You know you should do it but it is too complicated,
time-consuming, boring, etc. With an ever-growing list of demands on
your money, let me give you a few reasons why you want to start
thinking about your retirement now:
- Social Security won't be enough.
The Social Security Administration and Bureau of Labor Statistics
(1997) tell us that about 43 percent of retirement income needs are
met through a combination of Social Security and pension benefits.
In reality, pensions are becoming less common. It is very likely
that people retiring over the next twenty years will need to supply
about 70 - 80 percent of their retirement income needs through
personal savings. Here is a quick way to figure out if you will have
enough:
| $50,000 |
Income need at retirement |
| - 10,000 |
Less Pension |
| - 14,400 |
Less Social Security |
|
| $25,600 |
Income Needed Annually from Personal Savings
(not adjusted for taxes) |
| = $640,000 |
Divide result by .04 (withdrawal rate) for total
savings needed at retirement |
- Take a tax break.
Your PRoFIT program allows you to put away a maximum of $40,000 of
income per year. If you are in a 28 percent tax bracket you will
save $11,200 in federal taxes! In addition, the money will grow
tax-deferred until you use it in retirement. Take a look at the
power of tax-deferred growth on $50,000 at an eight percent return
for a person in the 28 percent tax bracket -
- The Bear is gone for now.
We did it. We survived the worst bear market since World War II. So
now what do we do?
Many people took refuge from the tumultuous markets by sheltering
themselves in bond and money market accounts. This strategy helped
to prevent many people from continuing to lose money as the stock
market was declining, but will not work as a long-term investment
strategy to promote growth of a portfolio. It is important to note
that bonds are investments that involve risk. It may be a difficult
concept to understand, but as interest rates rise, bonds lose value.
In the last month alone, 10 year U.S. Treasury bonds have risen
about 1.5% from 45 year lows. If you are one of the many people who
have been sheltering money in bond funds, it may well be time to
consider re-allocating your investment assets. In fact, it is
important at all times to have a well-allocated portfolio that
involve both stocks and bonds to meet your goals while matching the
amount of risk you are willing to take.
That's not to say the bear won't be back again. The stock market is
inherently volatile and cyclical, but the best way to weather the
storm is to have a well-diversified portfolio.
For an application please contact Debbie Thacker at the Wisconsin
REALTORS® Association at (800) 279-1972 ext. 256 to start your
tax-deferred PRoFIT program today!
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AMI Long Distance Plan for WRA Members
| Usage Type |
Cost/Minute |
| Outbound Intrastate & Intralata |
$.055 New! |
| Outbound Interstate |
$.055 |
| Inbound Toll-Free Intrastate |
$.055 New! |
| Inbound Toll-Free Interstate |
$.055 |
| Calling Card |
$.15 |
- No term or volume commitments involved.
- No time-of-day restrictions. Rates are 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week and are guaranteed not to increase for 2 years. In fact, there
may even be periodic rate decreases as our own costs decrease.
- No monthly plan fee.
- Detailed easy-to-read billing statements with usage summaries
and management reports.
- Calls are carried on the extensive, state-of-the-art networks of
a major carrier.
- Accounts are managed by Customer Service personnel committed to
providing the highest level of service. Any inquiries, problems, or
concerns are always handled promptly and efficiently.
- Give us a call today and join the many WRA Members already
taking advantage of this program!
AMI Communications, Inc. • (800) 254-3202 •
www.amicomm.net
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2003 Edition of Wisconsin Real Estate Law Now
Available
The 2003 edition of Wisconsin Real Estate Law, the respected
treatise on legal issues associated with real estate transactions, is
now available. This new edition is the eleventh edition in the 42-year
history of the book. It is published by the UW Law School with the
cooperation of the Wisconsin REALTORS® Association.
The new edition retains the clear and concise, yet authoritative,
discussions and practice advice that became the hallmark of earlier
editions written by Professors Walter Raushenbush and James MacDonald.
The prior edition (2001) has been completely updated by Scott Minter
from the UW Law School, Richard Staff, general counsel for the WRA,
and contributing author, Debra Peterson Conrad, director of legal
services for the WRA.
The book has been completely updated to explain new forms,
significant legislative and administrative law changes, and new
developments in real estate practice. Major revisions were made to
chapters covering such important issues as: the listing contract, the
offer to purchase, trust account procedures, disclosure and inspection
duties of real estate licensees, consumer protection, lead-based
paint, agency issues, and land use regulations. WRA Member price is
$49.85 and non-member price is $58.30 (prices include shipping and
tax). Go to
www.wra.org/products/books/default.asp
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