Continuing Education Classes
Melanie has written and teaches all of the courses in this section. She's a prolific educator, writer and instructor. Let her know what you need and she can customize a course for you.
Financing: Dollars and Sense©
This 3.5 hour CE course is approved in PA & OH. Come learn how the numbers work in financing and what every agent needs to know in order to understand this process and advise their clients. We also cover the new RESPA regulations, including the new GFE and HUD-1, which will be in use on 1/1/2010.
Pennsylvania Mandatory Core Continuing Education for New Licensees*
If you were licensed after 12/1/2007, this is one of two courses you must take to renew your license. I wrote the version being used by GHAR, RAYAC, PRI, RAMP and other schools.
*This course is only offered through one of the schools listed above.
Pennsylvania Mandatory Residential Elective Education for New Licensees*
This is one of the electives, and probably the one most licensee will take—the other two are Commercial and Property Management, and I do not teach those. Watch the schedule for times and places.
*This course is only offered through one of the schools listed above.
Pricing in a Competitive Market©
This is a fast paced course designed to assist agents to properly price listings in a quickly changing market. You’ll learn some of the ‘tricks of the trade’ which appraisers use, as well as some useful shortcuts and things to know. 3.5 hours of CE.
Advertising and the Agent©
What’s allowed? What is not allowed? What must an agent do to comply with Regulation Z, Fair Housing, and state law? Learn how to stay within the law when advertising and marketing property. 3.5 hours of CE.
Ethics and the REALTOR®©
What’s right? What’s wrong? How do ethics impact your business? This 3.5 hour course has been approved by many local associations to also satisfy the NAR Quadrennial Code of Ethics Training Requirement. This course has real life examples, and timely topics, including use of the Internet in advertising.
Getting to Wow©
This 3.5 hour CE course is about providing outstanding customer service to make customers clients and fans for life. Real estate is a service based business; find out what consumers want from us and how to provide it. Approved for 3.5 hours of CE.
Getting to Yes©
This 3.5 hour CE course is all about negotiating on behalf of your client in our business. According to NAR studies, consumers value negotiation as one of the services REALTORS® provide. Are you a good negotiator? Could you be better? Come enjoy a half day and leave a better negotiator.
What’s It Worth?©
This course is approved for both agents and appraiser for 3.5 hours of CE. We look at how you value different types of property, some useful rules of thumb, and discuss which approach to value to use for which type of property. Enjoyed by appraisers and agents alike at the Triple Play Convention.
You Want What on Which Line?©
This is a 3.5 hour course for appraisers about how to correctly fill out the many FNMA and other forms used in the appraisal business. 1004MC is included!
Economics and Appraising©
How the big picture of economics affects the smaller pictures of the national, regional and local markets. How appraisers can look at economic trends as they affect value. 3.5 hours of appraisal CE.
Salon and Saloon©
Appraising the gamut, from ERC (Employee Relocation Council) to foreclosures. Both assignments require additional research and reporting, primarily of competing listings. Learn how to do both.
Valuing Land©
3.5 hours, appraisers. Land looks easy—until you look closer. There’s land, and then….there’s land. Learn how to figure out the Scope of Work necessary to produce credible results in this interesting topic.
Appraisal 101 for Brokers in Pennsylvania©
This is a two day course, approved for broker credit. If you are going to be a broker, you need to understand valuation and pricing, and know what the appraiser is doing, and how you can help the appraiser with that task. Intense course, lots of material.
Technology and the Appraiser©
Sure, you have a digital camera and you upload your reports to the client’s website—but do you know the other ways technology could be making your life easier? Come to this 3.5 hour appraiser CE class and find out.
Valuing in a Declining Market©
When the ground is shifting under your feet on a daily basis, how do you value real estate? What about when the client asks for an “as-is”, an “as-complete” and a “quick-sale” value? What about liquidation value? This 3.5 hour appraiser CE class covers all these topics.
Melanie teaches the following courses which are offered through the Pennsylvania REALTORS® Institute.
Crossing State Lines and Keeping It Legal
This is a PRI owned course, and there are two versions: PA and NY and PA and NJ. I was the subject matter expert for PA. I’ll be doing the PA and NJ version at Triple Play, 2009, with my good friend from New Jersey, Joe Marovich. If you practice in a border state, either through reciprocity, or you have licenses in both states, this is the course for you. You’ll learn what applies where, and how to practice safely, and legally, in two jurisdictions. 3.5 hours CE
Professionalism in Real Estate
This ethics course has been approved by most local associations to also count for your Quadrennial NAR Code of Ethics Training Requirement. This is a great course about doing business ethically and honestly. 3.5 hours CE
Who’s Your Client?
This is a 3.5 hour CE course, very timely on who is your client and what does that mean? In most states, it means a lot and makes a huge difference in what you can and cannot do; and can and cannot say. Come learn more about the practice of agency law.
These topics are available for office meetings, CE, or both, depending on your needs.
Filling out standard forms (Pennsylvania)
Here in PA, 90%+ of all licensees use the same forms, developed by the Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS®. Learn how to fill them out completely and correctly. We can do one form, several forms, or take certain sections. A great office meeting event!
When the Going Gets Tough
Do your agents need to be pumped up a little? Today’s market is way different than the early 2000’s were. I will give them tips and get them going—back to basics and good practices—so that they will succeed in today’s market.
Coming soon....
Technology and Generations
This will be 3.5 hours of CE for agents on interacting with and without technology with agents, buyers and sellers from Gen Y to Golden Agers.