In response to the backlog of Florida Real Estate licensing candidates waiting to take the state exam, the test vendor Pearson VUE created an online solution called InVue. Now the candidates, once they have passed the pre licensing course exam and have been approved to take the state exam, can take the exam at one of Pearson VUE’s testing centers OR take the exam from the comfort of their home or office without the pandemic risks and health and safety measures in
place for in person testing. Face masks are now required at every Pearson VUE test center. Check the COVID related updates link. Remember that local governments also have specific additional measures to consider.
If you are not sure about the online option, check out my previous post outlining the process. If you are ready to take the new online test, first go the Pearson VUE’s homepage. You will see the OnVUE photo link promoting the option to secure testing in the comfort of home. Click the Learn More link and you will see the option for “Test Takers” directly under the Logo. When you click the arrow button 
next to the words you will see three options: schedule an exam, military communities, and test accommodations. Choose schedule an exam and you will see the options available. When you see the “take your exam from home” option click the link Explore OnVue Today to learn about your options and the process OR go directly to the Schedule Your Exam which is the first link and click the R for Real Estate. Choose the RES link which is your digital technology site. You are where you need to be! Either create your account or Sign in if you are returning so that you can take your test and begin your Real Estate Career!
Nature Coast Real Estate School is Hernando County’s Premier full service real estate school since 2002. We offer live instruction in classroom and via zoom, and online classes. Serving Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus Counties. We are proud to be Better Business Bureau Accredited. Visit our website for more information at http://www.naturecoastrealestateschool.com. Please make sure to check out our Google Reviews!
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It has been a rough journey trying to get a real estate license during the pandemic. In person classes ended for a while and then were restricted due to mandatory social distancing. Many of us who taught in Real Estate Brokerages found we had to find different accommodations. The Florida Real Estate Commission was quick to help find a solution by allowing livestreaming classes, and we adjusted along with the changing times.
On the state testing front it was a lot less accommodating. Students who had successfully completed their coursework and anxious to take the state test to get started in a new business. Most were told they has 6 months or more before the testing center could get them in for a slot to test, which was frustrating to say the 
least. Once again, the Florida Real Estate Commission and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation pressed for a solution and starting August 4, 2020 we have a new state testing model called OnVUE. This model will be for many the licenses under the DBPR.
How is it going to work?
Exams will be proctored and monitored by a live proctor.
What is going to be the process?
It will be protored through your microphone and webcam. Before you can take the exam you have to take a headshot photo, a photo of your driver’s license/ID card and pictures of your location. You will not be allowed to leave the room or move out of the proctor’s view. They are going to take every precaution to protect the integrity of the testing process. The proctor may ask to see your environment, including the walls, floor space and the desktop. This is to ensure you are not within arm’s reach of books, notepads, post-it notes, papers, pens, pencils, or other writing instruments/objects. Additional monitors must be unplugged, and additional computers must be turned off. Items on the wall such as wall art, posters and whiteboards will be inspected. If you are unable to complete this room scan, you are not permitted to proceed further or to take the exam.
Where can I take the exam?
It is very important that you are in a walled room with a closed door, either in your home or office Please make sure that your desktop is clean and that no books, notepads, sticky notes, papers, pens, pencils, and other writing instruments/objects are nearby . Additional monitors and computers must be unplugged and turned off. If your workspace does not pass a room scan, you will not be permitted to proceed with taking the exam.
What if I have questions or need a break?
If you have a question during the exam, you can use the “Chat” function at the top of the screen to contact the proctor. Once the exam begins, you are not allowed to talk, stand, or move from your seat. No one else is allowed in the room with you while you are testing. Make sure you are comfortable and ready to stay in place because you will NOT be able to take a break once the exam starts.
What type of equipment do I need?
Whether you use a home computer or laptop it 
must have a webcam with microphone and make sure you have a stable, strong internet connection. You will need to run a system check to confirm compatibility with the OnVUE application. Your computer will be locked down once you start your exam and you will have no access to other applications on your device.
May I bring my calculator and have scrap paper for the math questions?
No. The exam has a built in calculator that you may use You can access it by clicking on calculator icon in the exam screen. You will also have access to a built in whiteboard that you can access by clicking the eraser icon at the top of the screen. Uou can access both the built-in whiteboard and calculator at the same time for notes and calculations.
Can I still take my test at the testing center?
Absolutely! This is ad added service for the convenience of many and the safety of all. You can check out Pearon VUE’s website for more information about testing.
This is an exciting new option that is convenient for many who don’t want to travel, fight traffic or are comfortable working from home. For more information on the new online 
testing option I have inserted the OnVUE link for your convenience.
Nature Coast Real Estate School is Hernando County’s longest running Real Estate School serving the real estate licensing needs in Pasco, Hernando and Citrus Counties. Go to our website to schedule your in person, livestreamed or online courses to start your real estate career. CHECK OUR OUR REVIEWS ON GOOGLE. We are proud members of the Better Business Bureau.
I think we can all agree that change is stressful. Having change imposed on you is even more stressful. As the owner/instructor of a real estate licensing school in Floruda and having your entire format shift during a class is…well,
STRESSFUL!
Having said that, if you look back to the previous blog, my amazing students and I adapted. I changed my entire way of teaching to accommodate the fact that I could not just jump out of my seat and go the the whiteboard and create examples of concepts my students could not understand. I needed to use the years of experience to anticipate their objections and confusion, and have a power point prepared to elaborate or clarify…but 30 years of problem solving tricky real estate transactions was a great training lab for problem solving and I spent every waking hour not in the “virtual classroom” finding solutions. Not meaning to brag, but something went right and my virtual students knocked it out the park! My pass rates are higher that ever before and I owe it all to the dedication and grit of my students!
I want to clarify the difference between the “Online Course” and the “Livestream Course” and am holding my breath and praying the Florida Real Estate Commission extends the allowable period for this delivery method. I personally find I prefer it!
The online course is offered through the publisher of the course materials and is a self study course with the text online with explanatory videos. The Livestream course is LIVE, REAL, INTERACTIVE and if my choice was to teach a classroom of students who have to sit 6 feet apart and wear masks, and I have to holler through a mask, OR teach the same students in the comfort and safety of their home environment, there is no comparison.
I actually have discovered, after my initial panic that I am not tech savvy, don’t know the answers to why you lose connection, lose audio, lose video, get bumped off, and all that other tech stuff, that I like this offering better than in person classes.
We still test in small groups in the classroom. I have an ECOQUEST air purifier that saved my life when I had black mold poisoning. It runs all the time to keep the airborne issues down. I use disposable table cloths on each table and dispose of them after every test. I have freshly printed end of course exams that are shredded after one use. I have hand sanitizers using 76.5% alcohol with no toxic chemicals at each table. Every possible safety measure is enforced.
As the current President of the Hernando County Association of Realtors in Florida, I have a weekly teleconference with Florida Realtors Leadership to ensure we are complying with the Florida Surgeon General’s recommendations as well as the Florida Realtor’s Leadership guidelines for safety of my students. I applaud them for their proactive leadership and guidance as we weather these uncharted waters.
I ask everyone who reads this post to go back to May 2018, May 2019 and now look at 2020. You cannot tell me that you don’t see the incredible changes and shifts that have occured in all of our lives. But here is the good news. People, ALL people, need a place to live. We are an essential service. Our delivery has changed. It will never be the same. But if you listen to Simon Sinek’s book The Infinite Game, that is the difference between success and extinction: the ability to adapt.
Real Estate is an incredible career with infinite possibilities, limited only by the mindset of the practitioner. I have so many students who have always held the dream of a career in real estate on the back burner. Now, with other options dissolving, they have taken the courageous step to make that dream a reality. If this speaks to your heart…go to http://www.naturecoastrealestateschool.com, call me at 352 650 1029 or email me at jmgavish@aol.com to begin the next chapter of your professional life.
Real Estate Professionals thrive on challenges. Buyers and sellers rarely know what we go through to get them to the closing table. That’s our job. We thrive on it. Sometime we let them know at the closing table what we overcame to make it look easy and effortless for them. It’s what we do. It’s “Who We R” as REALTORS®. I have been practicing real estate since 1990 and teaching
since 2002. I have had challenges, plenty of challenges. It’s what makes us into experts, overcoming challenges.
This pandemic has brought challenges that I have never encountered before and hope never to experience again, but one thing I have learned over the past 30 years is to adapt.
My real estate class in March was expected to be a normal class…and then came the virus. My evening classes are usually the best attended and this was no different. 
The company I work for provides the location for this class and I am grateful for their generosity because my evening classes are large.
When the virus became a pandemic and everything became uncertain, I began to worry about how I would be able to accommodate my students and give them the experience they expected, given the reviews they read and had placed their future in my hands. My brokerage allowed me to teach the first night of class in my usual location, and then informed me they were closing the office the following day. My local Association of Realtors accommodated me the next class, and then informed me they were closing the next day. We had to make a decision because social distancing was now in effect so more than half my class volunteered to move
to Zoom, a livestream company, since the Florida Real Estate Commission made an emergency decision to allow livestreaming classes (something I had never done before).
Less than a week later the Governor ordered us to stay at home and we all had to adapt to a new way of teaching and learning….via livestreaming. It was not without its hiccups, and my amazing students adapted and made allowances for my learnng curve (like my computer deciding to update when I hadn’t saved my Power Point slides) but we got through it. We bonded. We grew. We made it through.
I used those skills I acquired in real estate over the years to find solutions and my real estate students who are resiliant and dedicated, are an amazing group of committed, solution oriented superstars. I am so proud of them and know they are up to the challenges that a career in real estate afford.
If you are looking to begin a real estate career in the Tampa Bay area, Nature Coast Real Estate School offers live, (and now livestreaming) and online classes in Pasco, Hernando and Citrus Counties. Go to http://www.naturecoastrealestateschool.com for details and pricing or email me at jmgavish@aol.com
Nature Coast Real Estate School offers classroom and online courses to fit every student’s needs and schedules. The online school, RECampus, is offered through the school but is owned by the publisher of the textbooks, Kaplan Inc./Dearborn Real Estate Education and we are subject to their rules of delivery.
Effective November 1, 2019 RECampus has a change in policy regarding students requesting extensions of time to complete the courses. They are now charging for this service and the timeline for the extension dictates the charge. This is the message we received as a provider:
As of today, your REcampus portal is set to charge for course extensions.
- Your students should still contact you to extend their course access periods.
- You are still responsible to verify if your state allows for an extension and should follow the same process to submit the request as before, with one change…
- You now need to enter the student’s credit card payment at the time of request.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE CHARGES ARE SET BY RECAMPUS AND WE HAVE NO CONTROL OR ABILITY TO REDUCE OR WAIVE THE FEES, WHICH ARE LISTED BELOW.
Licensing Course Extensions
- 30-day—$49
- 90-day—$89
- 30-day–$19
- 90-day–$29
If you are looking to start a career in Real Estate we hope you choose Nature Coast Real Estate School for your education. Check out our reviews and see what previous students have to say about the quality of the education received.
If you are looking to begin a career in real estate in Florida and do not have a real estate license in another state, the process has two components: successfully completing the mandatory 63 hours pre licensing course with a passing score of 70 and passing the state licensing exam with a passing score of 75. Here is the best process based on almost 20 years of teaching real estate licensing classes.
By Florida Statute, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) has up to 30 days after receiving a completed application to review the application for errors and omission. They have up to 90 days to approve or deny the application. Once the DBPR has received a completed application, that application is valid for two years, so I recommend starting the application process as soon as you decide you want to begin your career and have found the real estate class you want to attend.
The website to apply is www.myfloridalicense.com and the choose the option to apply for a license.
You will be given the choice of what profession you want to apply for and you will choose Real Estate.
There are different licensing options. The starting point if you do not have a license in another state is Real Estate Sales Associate. You will click the green button that says Apply for a License. The options below that just explain the different types of license.
You will choose Real Estate Sales Associate since the Mutual Recognition Agreements are for candidates who already have a license in the eight states that have agreements with the state of Florida.
Choose the Initial Applicattion Sales Associate (for RE 1) option
You are now on the application page, which is has a lot of resources for you. The first is unter the Examinations bullet. You will want to download the Candidate Information Booklet. (I have attached the links for you.) This is your guidebook for how to get throught the licensing process from start to finish. In the booklet is a breakdown of each of the units in your class textbook, the concepts you need to master to pass the state exam and how much weight each unit has on the state licensing exam.
Military veterans, their spouses and Florida National Guard members may be eligible for a fee waiver, fee reimbursement, and/or fee discount. If this applies to you then click the iink for DBPR Military Services.
The DBPR suggests that you get your electronic fingerprints 5 days before applying. The fingerprint FAQ You wil need to find an approved Livescan Vendor (listed on the FAQ page) and supply the appropriate code for real estate ( FL920010Z ).
Once you have your fingerprints and made your application you are waiting to hear that your application is approved.
Nature Coast Real Estate School offers online and classroom instruction for all of your real estate licensing needs. Go to http://www.naturecoastrealestateschool.com to register for your pre-licensing class. If you have any further questions please feel free to call at 352 650 1029. We look forward to seeing you in class!
Have you noticed an increasing number of animals in restaurants, stores and lodging facilities? Did you also notice that these animals are increasingly not limited to dogs? What are they, what do they do, and how are they protected under federal, state and local laws? If you are a business owner or landlord, are you even allowed to ask?
The National Association of Realtors wrote a White Paper Report on Fair Housing and the ADA. It states that according to the US Census Bureau, almost 1 in 5 people in the United States report having a disability and more than half of them are classified as severe. There are two separate federal laws that will be discussed in this post: The Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The Fair Housing Act of 1968 is administered and enforced by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The FHA created “protected classes” and prohibited discrimination in residential housing based on race, color, religion, national
origin and sex. It was amended in 1988 to include handicap and family status, which includes pregnant women.
According to HUD handicap is defined as:
- a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of such person’s major life activities (such as caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working).
- a record of having such an impairment, or
- being regarded as having such an impairment
Some examples of physical or mental impairments listed in a joint statement by
HUD and the U.S. Department of Justice include such diseases and conditions as orthopedic, visual, speech and hearing impairments, cerebral palsy, autism, epilepsy,
muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection, mental retardation, emotional illness, drug addiction (other than addiction caused by current, illegal use of a controlled
substance) and alcoholism.
Examples of specific conditions that courts have held to constitute a handicap include:
• AIDS or HIV
• developmental disabilities
• multiple sclerosis
• mobility problems requiring the use of a cane or a cart for support and
• post-traumatic stress disorder.
Under Fair Housing laws, housing providers may not discriminate against persons with disabilities or refuse to allow “reasonable accommodations” that gives them equal enjoyment of the facilites, including common areas and public areas.
In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted, expanding the rights and protections in employment, services, accommodations and telecommunications for 
persons with disabilites, which can be physical or psychological. The ADA is not generally applied to housing, and is enforced by the US Department of Justice. A disability is defined in law as:
- a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major
life activities of such individual - a record of such an impairment
- being regarded as having such an impairment
The definition of “major Iife activities” defined by HUD also applies to the ADA. Although the ADA does not apply to residential housing units, it does apply to the areas of the complex that is open to the public.
Just as there are differences in the definitions and protections under the FHA versus the ADA, there are different definitions of the animal companions and protections under the law. The FHA requires reasonable accommodations for persons with handicaps and many need the assistance of an Assistance Animal to function at home and, if so, the housing provider must allow the animal to live in the person’s residence. HUD’s definition of an Assistance Animal is not just limited to dogs; it states that any species may be an Assistance Animal. An animal that provides emotional support for a person with a diagnosis is allowed to live with them if that support is related to a person’s disability.
Persons with disabilities under the ADA have the right to have a Service Animal accompany them in public places. the ADA defines a service animal as a dog trained to accomplish a specific function related to a person’s disability. Dogs providing stability for a person who has difficulty walking, picking up items for a person who uses a wheelchair, or alerting a person who has hearing loss when someone is approaching from behind are all examples of the functions of a Service Animal.
Any facility, either governmental, non-profit, or business that provide goods or services to the public to make “reasonable modifications” in their policies, practices, or procedures when necessary to accommodate disabled persons. This includes allowing Service Animals into the facilities, even if they have a No Pet policy. If there is a question about the validity of the claim of a Service Animal, the only two questions allowable to ask are
- is the dog a service animal required because of a disability
- what work or task has the dog been trained to perform.
Staff cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog, or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task. The revised ADA regulations allow miniature horses if they have been trained to perform tasks for a person with disabilities. For more information do to http://www.ada.gov.
Nature Coast Real Estate School offers live classroom and online courses in Brooksville, Spring Hill, Port Richey and Inverness Florida. Check out our website at http://www.naturecoastrealestateschool.com for the full schedule of classes. Feel free to call with any questions at 352-650-1029 Be sure to read our reviews on Google before making your choice of Real Estate Schools.
According to an April 15, 2019 Time Magazine article “polls show that most Americans oppose discrimination against LBGT people. Many believe it is already illegal” but it is not. Many LBGT have shied away from home ownership due to the fear of persecution in neighborhoods, and federal laws don’t prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
“The high ratio of LGBTs concerned about some aspect of housing discrimination is alarming and demonstrates the importance of our organization’s continued legislative and advocacy work on behalf of the consumer,” says Jeff Berger, founder of the National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals.
According to a REALTOR® magazine article, Survey statistics show that up to 73% of of the 1,700 LGBT respondents surveyed expressed significant concern about housing discrimination both when buying and renting. The respondents worried about discrimintation by home sellers, real estate licensees, landlords, lenders, property management firms, and neighbors.
Some municipalities have passed laws that protect the LBGT community, but efforts to pass federal laws have been introduced and failed since the 1970s when laws began being introduced to protect sexual orientation. Currently the Equality Act is working its way through the US House of Representatives, but even if passed, it still must also pass in the Senate and be signed bby the President.
The National Assocation of REALTORS® (NAR), America’s largest trade Organization, representing over 1.2 million members and is considered “The Voice of Real Estate”, supports these efforts, and NAR President John Smaby said in a statement “REALTORS® have worked for [nearly] a decade to ensure the American dream of homeownership is not unfairly denied to those in the LGBT community.”
REALTORS® subscribe to the NAR Code of Ethics as a condition of membership and the NAR Code of Ethics prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation in 2011 and gender identity in 2013. Article 10 of the Code of Ethics reads:
Article 10
Realtors® shall not deny equal professional services to any person
for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status,
national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Realtors® shall not
be parties to any plan or agreement to discriminate against a person or
persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status,
national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. (Amended 1/14)
This demonstrates the importance of using a REALTOR® when purchasing a home, not just a Real Estate licensee, as the terms are not synonymous. The NAR works to raise the level of professionalism in its membership and each member takes an oath to follow the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.
Nature Coast Real Estate School offers live classroom and online courses in Brooksville, Spring Hill, Port Richey and Inverness Florida. Check out our website at http://www.naturecoastrealestateschool.com for the full schedule of classes. Feel free to call with any questions at 352-650-1029 Be sure to read our reviews on Google before making your choice of Real Estate Schools.
I frequently get asked the question about reciprocity from licensees in other states who are moving to Florida and want to practice Real Estate here. Unfortunately for them, the answer is no. We do, however, recognize the education and experience of Real Estate Professonals in other states and offer some concessions for those looking to get a Florida license from another state.
Florida has Mutual Recognition Agreements with eight states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, Nebraska and Rhode Island. Florida has a separate agreement with each of the states and they are exempt from taking the 
pre-licensing education course provided they are a non resident applicant. Instead, they are required to pass a written Florida-specific real estate law examination. The exam consists of 40 questions of 1 point in value per question. A grade of 30 points or higher must be achieved to pass the exam. The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) has compiled a Candidate Information Booklet to assist in the process. These agreements also ensure that Florida licensees have equal opportunity for licensure in those jurisdictions with which agreements are concluded.
The education is waived for the pre-licensing education only. All applicants must have obtained the Real Estate license by having met the education and examination requirements of the state with which Florida has mutual recognition. Once they have obtained a Florida Real Estate sales associate or broker license, they are subject to Florida’s renewal requirements. Prior to the initial expiration date listed on the license, they are required to complete post-license education. (45 hours Post-
Education for Sales Associates and 60 hours Post-Education for Brokers). Each subsequent biannual renewal period they are required to complete 14 hours of continuing education. If the candidate has a Broker license in the home state, the licensee must have held an active broker’s or sales associate’s license for at least 24 months during the preceding five years.
The candidate is required to make application through the DBPR, either online or a printed application and electronic fingerprints are required through an approved Livescan device vendor. Candidates are required to provide a Certification of Licensing History from the Real Estate Commission in the state where the license is held along with the application and fee.
Acquiring a real estate license through mutual recognition is available EXCLUSIVELY to Non Resident applicants. If licensed in one of the above mentioned state and living in Florida, the licensee is considered a Florida Resident and must
make application and do the required education as such.
If licensees from all other states are required to apply for a Florida license as any other candidate. If however they have at least two years active experience in the past five years, the candidate can bypass the sales associate license and apply directly for a Florida broker license.
Nature Coast Real Estate School offers live classroom and online courses in Brooksville, Spring Hill, Port Richey and Inverness Florida. Check out our website at http://www.naturecoastrealestateschool.com for the full schedule of classes. Feel free to call with any questions at 352-650-1029 Be sure to read our reviews on Google before making your choice of Real Estate Schools.
Forming a Real Estate Team within a Real Estate Brokerage is now an established business practice in Florida. There are many benefits to this concept; the licensee forming the team can leverage his/her efforts through duplication. When licensees finds they are doing all they can and there is still more business coming then they can handle, it is time to find an assistant, then a buyer’s agent and a team is born. How it grows from there depends on the financial and business goals of the team.
Each person on the team, if it is operating at full potential, is doing the tasks for which they are best suited. There are behavioral assessments that assist in determining where to place a person joining the team so that it runs efficiently, maximizing the talents of each member. This can increase sales volume and profit and has many benefits for all the careers involved.
One of the frequently asked questions when starting a team within a brokerage is how to get paid? If you have formed an Limited Liability Company (LLC) or a Professional Association (PA) for tax purposes, which is perfectly legal in Florida for sales associates and broker associates, you can be paid by your broker as such but only after all of the steps have been accomplished.
The first step is to form the entity through the Florida Department of State. An 
attorney or accountant can assist you with the process. Once you have formed the entity IN YOUR LEGAL NAME only, as Florida sales associates and broker associates MAY NOT BE LICENSED AS A TRADE NAME, the next step is to notify the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR).
The DBPR must be notified of the formation of the entity so that the license can be reissued in legal name of the licensee with the appropriate entity designation. This is accomplshed by filing form RE 16 with the appropriate fee and providing proof of the Department of State Registration. ONLY AFTER THE DBPR HAS ISSUED THE LICENSE IN THE NAME OF THE PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION CAN THE BROKER LEGALLY PAY THE LICENSEE UNDER THAT NAME.
This last step is frequently omitted, which could create liability for the Broker and the Associate. Florida Statute 475.161 clearly states the criteria required for payment to be compliant under Florida Law. A Florida broker may only pay the person/entity as they are licensed.
Nature Coast Real Estate School offers live classroom and online courses in Brooksville, Spring Hill, Port Richey and Inverness Florida. Check out our website at http://www.naturecoastrealestateschool.com for the full schedule of classes. Feel free to call with any questions at 352-650-1029 Be sure to read our reviews on Google before making your choice of Real Estate Schools.
naturecoastrealestateschool 