Friday, November 27, 2009

Illinois Real Estate License Exam Review

Passing the Illinois real estate license exam just might be easier for you if you read and memorize the review we've written and posted to prudentcareers.com. Here's a excerpt:

General Concepts: Types of real property include residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, special purpose. The most critical economic characteristic of land is area preference: location, location, location. Physical characteristics are immobility, indestructibility, and uniqueness. Real property includes air rights and mineral rights and the bundle of legal rights: possession, control, enjoyment, exclusion and right to sell.
What distinguishes personal property (or chattels) from fixtures is that personal property is moveable and by removing it the property would not be damaged. A fixture is personal property that has become part of the real estate by attachment, like a light fixture. Tests of a fixture include intent and method of attachment.When you own a home, mortgage interest and property taxes are deductible expenses; principal paid, insurance premiums and private mortgage insurance are not deductible items.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

License Law Passes House and Senate from IAR

License law rewrite clears Illinois House and Senate; now headed to governor. IAR’s Real Estate License Law rewrite (SB 1894) was approved on Oct. 15 by the House and on Oct. 29 by the Senate. The bill now goes to the Gov. Quinn for his approval. In terms of timing, the legislature has a maximum of 30 days to transmit the bill to the Governor, and then the Governor has 60 days to act on the bill. However, IAR anticipates that the bill will be acted upon relatively quickly. If approved, the section of the bill containing the Real Estate License Act is effective December 31, 2009. The bill gives licensees until April 30, 2012 to go through the proficiency exam or coursework requirements. Read IAR's License Law talking points and Q&A to help clear up any misconceptions about the proposal.