Table of Contents
Introduction 1 About This Book 1
Foolish Assumptions 3
Icons Used in This Book 3
Where to Go from Here 4
Part 1: Putting Real Estate License Exams into Perspective 7
Chapter 1: Sold! Taking a Glance at Real Estate License Exams 9
Checking Out Licensing and Exam Basics 9
Sign Me Up: Registering for the Exam 12
Knowing What to Take to the Exam and What to Leave at Home 13
Scoring High: Figuring Out How Scores Are Determined 14
Take Two: Retaking the Exam 15
Chapter 2: Using Successful Study and Test-Taking Techniques 17
One Word to Get You Through: PREPARE 17
Trying Terrific Test-Taking Strategies 21
Part 2: So You Want to Sell Real Estate: The Job and Basic Laws 25
Chapter 3: The Job: It Isn’t Just Driving People Around 27
Recognizing Those in the Real Estate Business and How They Got There 28
Knowing What a Real Estate Broker/Salesperson Does 30
Understanding How a Real Estate Broker/Salesperson Gets Paid 32
Working Hard: Career Opportunities 33
Property Management: A Special Kind of Career Opportunity 35
Managing a Real Estate Office: You’re the Boss, Ms or Mr Broker 39
Working as an Independent Contractor 40
Focusing on Job-Related Laws That You Need to Understand 41
Review Questions and Answers 43
Chapter 4: Understanding Agency Law 47
Becoming Someone’s Real Estate Agent: You’re Hired 48
Keeping the Faith: The Relationship between an Agent and a Principal 54
Meeting Obligations: The Relationship Between an Agent and a Customer 57
Making Money (No, Not at the Copy Machine) 59
Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow: Ending an Agency Relationship 61
Review Questions and Answers 62
Chapter 5: Knowing the Fair Housing Laws for Selling Real Estate 67
Practicing Fair Housing: The Basics 67
Don’t Do It: Avoiding Discriminatory Actions 69
Feeling Safe: Identifying Who’s Protected 73
Bending the Rules: Understanding Exceptions to the Law 74
Extra Coverage: Protecting the Disabled from Discrimination 76
Staying Strong: Enforcing the Law 76
Review Questions and Answers 76
Part 3: It’s All Mine: Owning and Transferring Real Estate 81
Chapter 6: Owning It: Estates and Interests 83
What Do You Own? Understanding Ownership Terms 83
Estates (Even Without the Castles) 85
Eyeing Different Ownership Rights 88
Review Questions and Answers 90
Chapter 7: Understanding Forms of Real Estate Ownership 93
Real Estate Ownership: A Solo or Group Activity 93
Special Types of Ownership: Cooperatives, Condominiums, and More 98
Review Questions and Answers 100
Chapter 8: Knowing the Limitations on Real Estate Ownership 103
Carrying a Not-So-Heavy Encumbrance: Private Limitations on Property Use 103
Land-Use Regulation: A Major Public Limitation 111
The Government Has Its Say: Other Public Limitations on Property Use 117
Review Questions and Answers 119
Chapter 9: Transferring Ownership: Deeds and Title Closing 123
Doing the Deed: Delving into Deed Basics 123
Getting Closure: Title Closing 135
Review Questions and Answers 143
Chapter 10: Giving Up or Losing Property 147
Fine by Me: Giving Up Property Voluntarily 147
By Force: Losing Property Involuntarily 148
Losing Property Very Involuntarily: Passing Title After Passing Away 151
Review Questions and Answers 152
Part 4: A House Is Made of Lots of Paper: Legal and Physical Issues 157
Chapter 11: Contracts 101 159
Agreeing to Do Something: The Basics of Making a Contract 159
So Many Choices: Examining Types of Real Estate Contracts 162
The End of the Line: Discharging a Contract 167
Breaching a Real Estate Contract 168
Review Questions and Answers 169
Chapter 12: Leasing Property 173
Identifying Who’s Who and What’s What 173
The Usual Suspects: Preparing a Typical Lease 175
Distinguishing Among Various Types of Leases 177
Breaking a Lease: Types of Eviction 178
Getting What You Paid For 178
Review Questions and Answers 180
Chapter 13: Dealing with Environmental Government Regulations and Issues 183
Deciphering the Federal Government Alphabet Soup 184
Assessing the Environmental Effects of Building Developments 186
This Stuff Can Make You Sick: Examining Environmental Pollutants and Situations 187
Go with the Flow: Water and Waste Issues 191
Review Questions and Answers 192
Part 5: You Want How Much? Valuation and Financing of Real Estate 195
Chapter 14: Appraising Property 197
Figuring Out Appraisal Basics 197
Understanding the Importance of Location! 200
Arriving at Different Types of Value 201
Creating, Changing, and Affecting Values: Some Economic Factors 202
Finding Value by Analyzing Comparable Sales 205
Finding Value by Analyzing Replacement Cost and Depreciation 208
Finding Value by Analyzing a Property’s Income 213
Reconciling a Property’s Value 217
Review Questions and Answers 218
Chapter 15: Finding the Money: Mortgages 221
The Way Things Work: Mortgage Basics 221
Examining Sources of (and Insurance for) Funding 226
Considerations for Lenders Accepting Mortgages 231
Grasping the Different Types of Mortgages 233
Comprehending Mortgage Repayment Plans 235
Endings You Didn’t Anticipate: Foreclosures, Assumptions, and Assignments 240
Being Fair: Consumer Protection Laws 243
Review Questions and Answers 245
Chapter 16: It’s So Taxing: Real Estate Assessment and Taxes 249
Who Wants Your Money, and What Do They Want with It? Collecting Taxes 249
Recognizing What’s So Special about Assessments 250
Go Figure! Calculating Taxes Step by Step 250
Home Free (Sort of): Eyeing Property Tax Exemptions 256
That’s Not Right: Protesting Assessments 257
Pay or Lose: Tax Liens and Sales 258
Review Questions and Answers 259
Chapter 17: Investing in Real Estate 263
Focusing on Property Investment 263
Partnering Up: Real Estate Investment Organization Structures 267
Spending Spree: Acquiring and Building Investments 268
Making Money by Investing in Real Estate 270
Getting Uncle Sam’s Help: The Government’s Role in Investing 272
By the Numbers: Analyzing Investment Properties 276
Review Questions and Answers 278
Chapter 18: All in the Numbers: Real Estate Mathematics 283
Don’t Lose the Faith, but You May Have to Convert 284
Land and Buildings: Measuring Area and Volume 284
Percentages: Pinpointing What You Really Need to Know 288
Commissions: Tracking Your Moolah 289
Making Mortgage Calculations without a Fancy Calculator 293
Oh, the Pain: Calculating Taxes 295
Putting Proration into Perspective 297
Appreciating Appreciation and Depreciation 298
Estimating Appraised Value 301
Review Questions and Answers 303
Part 6: You’re Ready: Taking Practice Exams 307
Chapter 19: Practice Exam One 309
Chapter 20: Answers and Explanations to Practice Exam One 321
Chapter 21: Practice Exam Two 333
Chapter 22: Answers and Explanations to Practice Exam Two 345
Chapter 23: Practice Exam Three 357
Chapter 24: Answers and Explanations to Practice Exam Three 369
Chapter 25: Practice Exam Four 383
Chapter 26: Answers and Explanations to Practice Exam Four 395
Part 7: The Part of Tens 409
Chapter 27: Ten Things to Find Out From Your State’s Real Estate Law 411
Agency Law 412
Fair Housing 412
License Law 412
Limitations on Land Use 413
Money Stuff 413
Ownership Rights, Forms, and Theories 413
Property Disclosure 414
Tenants’ Rights and Rent Control 414
Transferring Ownership Involuntarily 415
Transferring Ownership Voluntarily 415
Chapter 28: Ten Tips to Help You Succeed on the Exam 417
Taking the Exam as Soon as You Can 417
Knowing the Rules (and Following Them) 418
Studying Your State License Law 419
Remembering Important Vocabulary 419
Focusing on Key Concepts 419
Eating Something 420
Staying Cool, Calm, and Collected 420
Paying Attention (without Overthinking) 420
Going with Your Initial Instinct 421
Finishing the Job 421
Index 423