How is everyone doin? I have learned alot from just looking around the forums this evening. I'm interested in getting my RE license but don't really know what to expect. If I did get my license I would mostly use it for my own personal property investing and friends/family. We bought a condo about four years ago and looking to upgrade. I was really interested in the whole process when we were buying. I figure that it can't hurt to have any sort of education under my belt.

I found my local junior college offers the courses needed to prepare for getting the license, but I don't want to do the whole classroom thing. I have a young son and don't want to be away from him for class right now. I learn very well on my own from books, etc. My last 3 college courses were online ones through the same junior college and I did well.

I started looking for online/at home studying for a RE license and found the following company: www.californialicense.com Anyone familiar with them? I figured to look them up on BBB too. Any other recommendations?

Any help on what to expect about the studying & testing would be greatly appreciated. How long? Cost of getting licensed? ????

Thank you all so much,
Jennifer

There are lots of existing threads on this topic. Use the SEARCH feature and you'll come up with lots of information. Don't forget to call your local Board of REALTORS and MLS to find out their costs once you are licensed. Studying and taking the test is your first task. You'll learn lots of things in your courses that are irrelvant to day-day-day duties as an agent. But it's all stuff that you need to "file away" in your brain. So stick with it and good luck.

I remember paying about $400-$450 for a one week course. Quite easy to pass, nothing fancy here. If you're motivated, you'll make it. Good luck!

A big consideration for those getting a real estate license if the plan is to [i]'mostly use it for my own personal property investing and friends/family'[/i] is that maintaining a real estate license is not inexpensive. Will you be joining the local board to gain access to the MLS? Do you know the monthy/quarterly fee? Where will you be hanging your license? Will the broker hold it at no cost to you? Many brokers charge monthly 'office fees' just to affiliate.

Of course, you'll also need to consider the time and money you'll be spending on your annual continuing education required to keep your license current.

Will the money you make or save by selling your family properties be worth the time and effort?

Good luck!

If your real estate courses are anything like most, you won't learn anything about managing a real estate transaction in school; you'll learn to pass the test. Most new agents hit the ground with absolutely no clue of what they're doing and it takes a long time (and many hours) to get to the point where you do have a clue. Simply having a real estate license does not make you a competent real estate agent.

I don't think the OP is around here anymore.

Perhaps, 007. But I've noticed a lot of lurkers in the forums. So it probably doesn't hurt to bump some of these threads once in a while.