Betty's Blog

You may not like to do this, BUT...

by Betty Winn on 06/07/16

We all have those years where we just didn't get our 24 hours of continuing education completed. Maybe we didn't do any hours over the last two years! Or, maybe we just need one class and our license expires in the morning... we've all been there.

Now you can take the full 24 or just pick up that one class... Online! Winn School of Real Estate, LLC is partnering with Career WebSchool to offer online real estate courses.

I took one of the courses and I must say it was challenging. I, of course, passed. I also learned information I did not know before. It was worth the $19 I paid. You see, Career Webschool would have given me a free demo class to take at no charge. But, I wanted to pay the $19 and experience the course just like you will. They give you six months to finish the course. Being as busy as I am with classes and my recent listing, I was able to start and return multiple times until finishing a few weeks later.

I am offering their courses because I believe they meet my high standards. When completed, you will know the information and you will pass the final quiz.

If you need the 24 hours the cost is just $99 and individual courses are only $19. A great value. So, if you need hours and just don't have time to get them done live or maybe you'd like to try one out and give me feedback. Click here and get started! Thanks.

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Inventory Update!

by Betty Winn on 05/01/16

WOW! I just checked the single family residential inventory and it went from 947 to 1347 units in less than a month. That is impressive! It looks like the listing agents are really getting out there and doing their thing! This is wonderful news for the new licensees entering into our industry. We still need to keep informed about the new home subdivisions, vacant land and custom builders. Congratulations, we are going to have a wonderfully prosperous selling season!

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Low Inventory? Time to Reinvent!

by Betty Winn on 04/28/16

The last time I checked the stats there were only 947 single family residential listings in our entire Prescott Area Association of Realtors' Multiple Listing System. But, there were over 2000 residential vacant land listings.

We call this a Seller's Market. It is time to hone your sales skills and educate potential home sellers that this is the time to list their property.

Working with buyers may be a little trickier. With a low inventory, real estate professionals may have to change gears and become land salespersons. They are going to have to establish relationships with reputable custom builders and assist their buyers in the new construction process.

Realtors need to become experts on the new and existing subdivisions populating our landscape and make sure they register their clients with the new home developments and see them through the process of having a new home built.

There is really no bad time in the real estate industry; just different times that open up different opportunities for the real estate professional and their clients!

Good luck out there!

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Change is Good... Very Good!

by Betty Winn on 04/02/16

It has been too long since I wrote on my blog. So let’s get up to date! The school has been very busy in the first quarter of 2016. Eighteen out of twenty-one students have passed their state exams the first time. That is an 86% pass ratio.

We brought on some new instructors to help with our first ever morning pre-licensing course to complement our normal afternoon and evening sessions. The morning class students graduate this week and will take their finals the following Monday. After three months of marketing the next morning session, which was supposed to start mid-April, we did not receive enough interest to proceed. We have scheduled the next morning session for mid-August.

Our continuing education schedule for this year has been consistent with two in January and one in both February and March.

We are offering a free class in April presented by Arizona Department of Water Resources and sponsored by Empire West Title Agency. There is no continuing education credit for this class but real estate professionals sometimes need the information not just CE credit.

May brings a special CE class titled “A more detailed look at 1031 Tax Deferred Exchanges”. Carmine DiFulvio of First American Exchange Company will be our instructor. Empire West Title Agency and OnQFinancial are our sponsors.

We have the six hour ADRE required Contract Writing classes scheduled monthly through June. Existing licensees can take this class along with the new licensee candidates and receive continuing education credit.

Information for all our classes can be found under the Licensing Course, CE Prescott or Contract Writing tabs.

The next step for Winn School of Real Estate is to offer online continuing education courses. We also want to present computer-based pre-licensing in the future. We are working with World Continuing Education Alliance to create and develop our first CE class. Our hope is to be live before the end of summer.

Well, that wraps up the update. Please check in once in a while and I will try to write more often.

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Don't Give Up!

by Betty Winn on 11/12/15

The students from the final evening class and final day class of 2015 are preparing to pass my final and their state exams to become licensed real estate salespeople. I received this article in my email box this morning and wanted to share it with them and with anyone trying to improve their lives. Check it out at http://confidenceandjoy.com/have-you-failed-3/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Confidenceandjoycom+%28ConfidenceAndJoy.com%29

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2016 Comes with Changes... Some Exciting!

by Betty Winn on 10/23/15

It has been a while since I posted anything to this blog. Now that we are in the last quarter of the year plans have begun for 2016 which is a great excuse to write a post for the blog.

We want to expand. But, anyone who has seen our location knows there is really no where to expand, physically speaking that is. How to expand was the question at hand and the answer was to add a morning session to our schedule.

I can teach nine hours a day if I have to but I am sure that would get old, fast and the students would suffer as well as myself. So, the answer is to hire a few new instructors to take on the new session.

We are happy to announce that Jim Rouse, an associate broker with C. Marshall and Associates has stepped up to the plate and is now an instructor with our school. We have three more brokers/associate brokers who will be coming on board before the end of the year to assist with our expansion.

It is always the people that make a company anyway not the bricks and mortar. Talking about bricks and mortar, our facility, located in the Stepping Stones Community Center on 2nd street in Prescott Valley, just got a new roof and coat of paint. Now when I have to give directions to our classroom, I can just say "We are on the South side of 2nd Street... it is the large green building with the red trim." Very nice!

Once our morning session ( 9 to 12) kicks in on February 17th, students can triple up with the afternoon and evening sessions and complete their 90 hours in about 2 1/2 weeks or just stick with the mornings and complete it in 7 1/2 weeks.

Not only are we accommodating folks that need to be home in the afternoon for the children but this allows a fast tract option that is not being offered in the Prescott/Prescott Valley area.

We have also added the three Broker Management Clinics that Brokers and Managing Brokers are required to take to renew their licenses, to our growing selection of continuing education classes. Real Estate Sales people can take any one of the sessions for their Commissioner Standards credit.

Anyway, we are offering the all three BMCs on December 11, 2015. You can take all three or two or just one. And, yes I am teaching the entire nine hours.

Watch for new classes throughout 2016. I am sure that our new instructors will want to teach their passions and what a great venue to accommodate them, Winn School of Real Estate, your local real estate school.

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Local Young Boy Needs Help!

by Betty Winn on 07/22/15

I do not usually use my blog for non business related items. But, I was compelled to revise this stance when one of my students relayed a very distressing story about a local young boy who was shot in the eye with an arrow by another young boy. (this was of course an accident)

He has had one surgery and is in need of another. The specialist will not perform the surgery until payment is made first. This family is seeking donations to assist in paying for this and future surgeries.

If it is in your budget and more importantly in your hearts to help this family financially, you can do so by clicking this link www.youcaring.com and typing in the name Ty Bennett. I am sure the family would appreciate your prayers as well.

Thank you.

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Great Article in the Daily Courier!

by Betty Winn on 07/20/15

The Daily Courier printed a very nice article about Realtors and Technology. You can view the article at their site and on my Facebook page.

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First Storm of Summer Delays Class

by Betty Winn on 06/30/15

Just as class started last evening, the hail storm began. We were all trapped in the classroom. The hail hitting the windows and the thunder and lighting were so loud, not even I could speak loud enough to teach.So, I gave the students quizzes to do in groups to keep them occupied until the first monsoon storm of the year stopped. Unfortunately, before the storm ceased, the water breached through the bottom of the door, windows and walls and began to move through the classroom. The students alerted me then kept working (they are all real troopers) until the storm finally stopped about 50 minutes after it started. I excused the class (we will be making up the time) as the Stepping Stones Agencies staff went into action. Brandon brought the largest wet vac I've ever seen and got as much water up as he could. Alva, also of Stepping Stones, removed all the hail that was up against the outside walls and the sidewalk. My husband, David Winn, arrived with two large fans to finish the drying job. I am so thankful to have our school in the Stepping Stones Center. See the pictures in the Photo Gallery

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Two Huge Announcements!

by Betty Winn on 05/06/15

First! Monday was final test day for the day class. Two-thirds of the classe passed my test their first time taking it. Then, they went on to take their state finals and all passed those exams the first time, too! This quarter (to date) has us with pass rations of 95% on the National portion and 78% on the State portion. I am very proud of all my students!

Second! Our classroom chairs were generously loaned to us by Empire West Title Agency when we opened our classroom last March. I believe they were used when they received them and with as many rears I have had sitting in them over the last year, they have worn down even more. We decided to purchase new comfy banquet chairs for our students. You can see a picture of them in the Photo Gallery. Empire West has donated the old chairs to Stepping Stones in their continued efforts to serve their community. Thank you Empire West!

It has been a great start to a great month... Happy May to everyone!

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