Whether you’re getting licensed for the first time, meeting your continuing education requirements, or looking to enhance your career, make RealEstateExpress.com your real estate school of choice.

After years of a constant up and down pricing battle, the U.S. housing market is finally returning to its’ normal state. Fiserv Case – Shriller is predicting home prices will increase by an average of 3.3% annually over the next five years. With the housing market resembling normalcy for the first time since 1997, there is not a better time than now to get into the real estate industry.

Students who enroll with Real Estate Express will find a library of over 150 original dynamic state-approved courses to choose from. The American School of Real Estate Express not only provides, convenient, easily accessible real estate courses, but an entire career plan; from training, to passing your exam, to the hiring process. With over 500,000+ successfully trained real estate students, our courses and exam prep programs provide informing content and knowledge that allows students to pass their state exams, the first time.

In today’s market, agents need to stand out from the crowd, Real Estate Express’s Career Launcher package provides everything an agent needs to set themselves apart and gain new customers. Agents can build their brand, choose any field specialization course of their choice, and provides two customizable websites to target new clientele.

With America’s favorite online real estate school, agents have the opportunity to make themselves more marketable by completing any of Real Estate Express’s four professional designation courses. Upon completion of the required course curriculum, agents earn the right to use their official designation abbreviations behind their name on all business cards, letterhead, and professional correspondence.

Take the first step and enroll today, real estate education in the palm of your hand!
Want to find out if you have what it takes to be a Real Estate Agent or Broker?

About Tom Davidson — Tom Davidson is Vice President of Express Schools, LLC. which operates online education providers Real Estate Express, Insurance License Express and License Tutor. Follow him on Twitter.

Blame it on your favorite weather scapegoat: Atmospheric cycles, Climate change, Punxsutawney Phil: winter is not nearly finished with us. This year’s frigid temperatures are perhaps a rebound reaction to make up this year what we lacked in cold and catastrophe last year. Whatever the reason, the cold wet weather is taking its typical toll on the housing market.

January’s home sales dropped a hair (0.4%) from December. This is after December’s sales dropped 1% from November, which had in turn dropped from September. It’s to be expected that the downward trend in home sales might continue to drop until warmer weather hits. There’s a reason statisticians like to hedge numbers in “seasonally adjusted” terms.

According to the National Association of Realtors “The annual rate for a particular month represents what the total number of actual sales for a year would be if the relative pace for that month were maintained for 12 consecutive months. Seasonally adjusted annual rates are used in reporting monthly data to factor out seasonal variations in resale activity. For example, home sales volume is normally higher in the summer than in the winter, primarily because of differences in the weather and family buying patterns. However, seasonal factors cannot compensate for abnormal weather patterns.”

Winter is a traditional low-time for housing sales. Between the traditional school season and year-end holidays, freezing temperatures and dangerous icy conditions, no one wants the hassle of a winter move. So unless it’s unavoidable, people tend to do their home buying and selling in milder months.
Last year the mild winter and early spring gave housing sales a much-needed boost during a stumbling recovery, pushing higher sales activity than typical for the winter season due to “abnormal weather patterns.”

This winter is not an exception to the traditional winter lull, but the statistics on the housing market are surprisingly good. While last winter showed slow and desperately needed steps toward recovery from the housing market crash, the depths of this long winter are showing something even more encouraging: we’re seeing activity in much more tune with the typical seasonal cycle of a healthy housing market. So while the market may be down from the fall, it is up (a lot!) from last year.

The National Association of Realtors’ January reports state existing home sales 9.1% above January 2012. Existing home inventory is listed at 4.2 months supply, which is the lowest housing supply we’ve seen since April of 2005! Meanwhile, interest rates on the 30-year fixed rate mortgage remain low, at 3.41%, up slightly from the record low of 3.35% seen at the end of 2012, but still a significant amount lower than the 3.92% on January 2012 (which was at that time also a record low). This limited inventory, combined with the continued low interest rates is responsible for the 12.3% rise in the national median sale price of all housing types over January of 2012. This rise marks the 11th month of year-over-year price increases, and the highest increase since November 2005 gained 12.9% over the previous year.

Granted that compared to last year, it wouldn’t take much to post an improvement, but the strong numbers in the midst of this fridge winter season are leading many experts to herald a market shift from buyer’s to seller’s, and anticipate further strengthening of home values in the spring, when traffic seasonally increases.

Want to find out if you have what it takes to be a Real Estate Agent or Broker?

About Tom Davidson — Tom Davidson is Vice President of Express Schools, LLC. which operates online education providers Real Estate Express, Insurance License Express and License Tutor. Follow him on Twitter.

As gas prices begin yet another round of increases with no end in sight (if ever) homebuyers are finding that picking the right location is more valuable than ever.

America was built on the automobile. The sheer size of the nation, coupled with the majesty of its natural landforms, not to mention the American ideals of independence and self-reliance, served to focus national transportation away from large-scale mass transit, and onto personal transportation modes. Simply put: we are a nation of drivers, and our infrastructure reflects that. With the exception of some major metropolitan cities, most of America is spread out: we live in one place, work in another, shop in another, and play in yet another, and all of them located too distant from each other for easy access except by car.

Unfortunately, current economic and market conditions, decreased supplies, increased demands, and strong international competition are all driving gas prices sky-high. Prices are at a four-month high, despite the winter’s typical decrease in travel. According to the EIA, the Energy Information Administration, the nationwide average price per gallon for regular unleaded gasoline is $3.75. That’s a whopping 21 cent hike from the beginning of February alone. Speculators are predicting some price decreases in the spring, then increased imports and additional production kick in. Though the current jump is blamed on the low-season closing of US refineries for maintenance, Americans have seen steady increases in gas prices through the past decade, and though prices fluctuate, significant long-term cost declines are not expected.

As gas prices rise, the cost of all of this travel is taking its toll, and Americans are beginning to reevaluate their lifestyle choices. Not only are they seeking out homes closer to their primary places of employment, homebuyers are now actively searching for housing options that cut down on their travel expenses.

One of the housing options gaining renewed popularity is the “walking community” – neighborhoods located within walking distance to core necessities such as grocery stores, shops, schools, and more. Some walking communities are planned by building neighborhoods close to these amenities, others have developed when zoning and construction brought the shops and schools to the neighborhoods, while others have even been custom-built from the ground up as all-inclusive communities. This trend has also helped spur urban renewal in many areas, bringing new life to downtowns. Other community movements from bike paths to carpool-lanes are also gaining in popularity. New and existing mass transit systems from major suburban hubs and areas of dense housing to downtowns and other large employment centers are also gaining increased support, and homes within easy access to transit are gaining a boost in interest and sale value.

Homebuyers feeling the pinch of the pump should carefully evaluate home locations that best suit their needs. Families may need to compromise to find the best location to balance multiple places of employment, schools, and other regular destinations, with the homes and neighborhoods that best suit their needs and desires. Mapping travel distances and frequencies can also help homebuyers focus their search, while factoring in access to mass transit and other transportation options into their envisioned lifestyles.

As gas prices continue to shed light on the value of transportation and convenience, the old axiom “location, location, location” is gaining new focus and emphasis in today’s housing market.

Want to find out if you have what it takes to be a Real Estate Agent or Broker?

About David Goldstein — David Goldstein is an Owner and Founding Partner of Express Schools, LLC. which operates online education providers Real Estate Express, Insurance License Express and License Tutor. Follow him on Twitter.

Think you could become a landlord? Before you jump in, consider the following checklist to see if your property would make a good rental.

Expenses vs. Income
Before you get too invested in the idea, figure out if it’s worth the cost. If your house is in good shape, in a good place, and the mortgage is small of nothing, you’ll likely be making a profit from renting it out. Another reason to go rental might be to help balance or lessen the money drain on a property, either because it won’t sell, or you want to hold on to it longer. For example, rending can help some homeowners hold onto a property long enough for the property value to rebound, even if they make little or no profit in the meantime.
You’ll need to calculate hard numbers, both the best and worst case scenarios, for expenses and income. What must you spend on the home? Include mortgage, utilities, repairs, yard maintenance, insurance, and any services you’ll require, like a legal consultant or property manager. Then calculate what you should be able to get in rent by looking at the area’s market and comparable properties with realistic high and low options. You can get help and advice from several nonprofits that specialize in helping small businesses get started, such as www.score.org.
If the income is bigger than the expense in the worst-case scenarios, you have a potential for profit.

Self Manage or Hire a Manager
Are you cut out for this job? It’s definitely not for everyone. Being a landlord can be the source of major stress and require a lot of tough decisions and hard work. Can you handle the maintenance and upkeep responsibilities? Could you deal with a difficult tenant? Could you evict someone if necessary? Most importantly, could you keep emotion out of it all? If you can, and you live in town, then you might want to try self-managing your property.
If you don’t live in town, or the work isn’t appealing, you can hire a professional property manager. Check up on the person or firm’s credentials and licensing, if they are bonded, the state of their insurance, the services they provide (tenant screening, 24-hourmaintinence, ect.), and ask for references. Make sure they keep client’s money in separate trust accounts (not a master agency account) and provide detailed records of tenant payments and any expenditures they handle.
For a good manager, expect to pay 10% of the rent. Be suspicious of any offer less than 8%, as the undercutting could reflect on quality.

Legal Considerations
Tenant selection is vital for a landlord, but so is keeping it legal. Selecting or rejecting a tenant based on ‘a feeling’ or hiring a data-broker can get you into big legal trouble. Instead, use a detailed application form approved by a fair-housing lawyer, with identity and rental history, and check up on all records and references. To do a credit check, state it clearly and get a credit-check release signed by the applicant. Write out your application and rental policies and stick to them.
Know your legal obligations as a landlord and your tenant’s obligations as well. Make your contract clear and specific, and remember that an illegal clause, even in a signed contract, is invalid. Also learn your state’s laws of handling rental income, deposits, and interest. Keep detailed records for everything from screening to money management for several years in case of an audit.

Money Matters and Bookkeeping
Whether you self-manage or hire a professional, you must keep the rental business records separate and clearly recorded. Financial software can make this easy and can help you determine if the rental business is successful. Operational expenses (including maintenance and professional services such as managers or accountants), property taxes, and mortgage interest are tax deductible business expenses. Keep a separate bank account (or accounts) for the business and keep a portion of profits aside to handle inevitable repairs and other issues.

Want to find out if you have what it takes to be a Real Estate Agent or Broker?

About Geoff Thompson — Geoff Thompson is an Owner and Founding Partner of Express Schools, LLC. which operates online education providers Real Estate Express, Insurance License Express and License Tutor. Follow him on Twitter.