Education & Products
2001-2002 Continuing Education-Still Available!
The 2001-2002 Continuing Education is still
available! You can also complete the 2001-2002 continuing education requirements by using either our Video-Internet version or the Self-Study Booklet/Internet version. Call and register today.
For New Recruits! Sales Prelicense Course - Madison
This program is also available through self-study video or a self-study Internet program.
To obtain a real estate license in the state of Wisconsin, you must first complete 72 hours of approved education courses such as our sales and prelicensing course.
Second, you must pass a state-administered exam. The WRA is offering an 8-day Accelerated 72 Hours Sales program on
March 3-6, 10-13, 2003 and
May 5-8, 12-15, 2003 at the WRA in Madison. Brokers can purchase a $50 discount coupon for only $10, which entitles your new recruit to a $50 discount on the registration fee.
Your new recruits can be ready to take the exam as soon as they complete the class. Call 1-800-279-1972 to register!
It Will be Smooth Sailing with Quickstart
New agents will want to attend the four-day QuickStart Program (offered in two parts as two-day sessions). Course contents include working with FSBO and expired listings,
 farming, advertising, technology tools, creating a business plan, time management, listing presentations, overcoming objections, working with buyers, closing techniques and more.
Modules 1 and 2 will be offered on Feb. 12-13, 2003 in Madison and Modules 3 and 4 will be offered
March 19-20, 2003 in Madison.
The fee is only $230; however, the WRA offers a new member discount of $40, making the cost of this course only $190. This is a fantastic price for four days of instruction for new agents.
Upon completion of the four modules, participants can
take a GRI Course 1 Equivalency Exam and move directly into GRI Course
2 or 3.
Is There a Broker's License in Your Future?
Video Course Now Available!
If you are interested in obtaining your broker's license, you must complete 36 hours of education. Areas of study include: contracts, marketing, trust accounts, business ethics, personnel, and more.
A video course is now available, or you can attend one of our live courses
scheduled for April 7-10, 2003 and
June 16-19, 2003 at the WRA in Madison.
*Completion of the class, passing of the exam and applying for the broker license will fulfill your 2003-2004 Continuing Education requirements.
Buyer Agency Course - Do It!
Get in on buyer agency and watch your career take off! This is turning into one of the WRA's most popular classes as Buyer Agency is becoming the way more and more buyers are choosing to do business. This two-day course covers agency, service delivery, marketing and promotion, and negotiation and risk management. The next course offerings are
March 20-21, 2003 in Eau Claire, and
April 3-4, 2003 in Appleton and
August 13-14, 2003 in Madison.
Register now
Information Regarding New Requirements for the ABR Designation is Available on the WRA Web site.
Complete Two ABR Electives in Two Days!
We will be offering two ABR Electives on February 5 and 6, 2003 in Appleton. Representing the E-buyer will be presented on the first day, and Innovative Marketing Techniques for Buyer's Reps will be presented on the second day.
Registration
ABR Elective Course Requirement Reminder
Members who completed the ABR Designation course BEFORE January 1, 2002, but did not earn their designation by that date, are not required to take an elective course to earn their ABR designation. Members who completed the ABR Designation course AFTER January 1, 2002 must successfully complete an elective course to earn their ABR designation.
Appraisal Conference - March 13-14, 2003
Attend the 2003 Appraisal Conference at the Ho Chunk Hotel and Casino in Baraboo (near Wisconsin Dells) on
March 13-14,
2003.
Home Inspectors CE Now on Video.
Modules can be purchased individually or in multiples.
module 1 Standards, Ethics and Report Writing - 4 hours
module 1a Electrical - 4 hours
module 2 Exteriors - 8 hours
module 3 Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning - 8 hours
module 4 Interiors, Insulation, Ventilation, Fireplaces, Basements, Crawl Spaces - 8 hours
module 5 Structural Systems and Components - 8 hours
Included is the home inspector's "HomeBook," a professional reference book with more than 365 pages and more than 600 possible inspection items, detailed drawings and the "what to" and "how to" of repairs.
WHEDA HOME Loan Seminars
This is basic training about WHEDA products whether you are new to WHEDA or simply need a refresher course. Learn more about their newest product -HOME Plus. Seminars will be offered at the following locations:
February 4, 2003
Italian Community Center 631 East Chicago Street Milwaukee
February 11, 2003
Radisson Hotel 2040 Airport Drive Green Bay
February 19, 2003
Holiday Inn East 3841 East Washington Avenue Madison
Registration starts at 8 a.m. and the course begins at 8:30 a.m. - 12 noon.
Registration fee: FREE
To register, call 800-334-6873 or register online at www.wheda.com.
Seminar approved for 2003-2004 Continuing Education Course 4B.
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ZipForm Information Center
ZipForm Online - Access to Forms Any Time, Any Where
In a bind? Need a form now? No more rushing to the office in hopes that the form you need is there. As long as you have a computer with Internet access you can obtain the form you need in seconds. The WRA's newest ZipForm product, ZipForm Online, is a web-based program that offers members quick access to over one hundred forms and best of all, it's free with your WRA membership.
ZipForm Online not only enables you to print forms, you can complete and save transactions similar to the ZipForm Desktop version that's been around for years. Unlike the desktop version though, all transactions are stored at a server in another location thereby freeing up your computer's valuable hard drive space. Plus, forms are always current ... no more downloading and installing form or even program updates.
So, what are you waiting for? Sign-up for ZipForm Online today! Even if you use ZipForm Desktop you can still sign-up for ZipForm Online. Both programs are included in your membership. Go to
the ZipForm Information
Center.
I recently changed companies. How do I change the firm name that appears on my forms?
To change the company name on your forms in ZipForm Desktop you must first uninstall the program (Click Start -> Programs -> ZipForm 5.0 -> Uninstall). Once the program is uninstalled you need to
re-download the program from www.wra.org using the new company id. From the WRA home page click on the ZipForm logo to the left. Select ZipForm Online (the web-based program) or ZipForm Desktop from the ZipForm Product Selection box. Follow the screens to download the desired program.
I recently purchased a new computer. How do I transfer my transactions to the new machine?
First, you need to know what directory your transactions are stored in on your old machine. When logged into ZipForm, select Tools -> Options. Under the Locations tab is a location named "Local." The path associated with "Local" contains your stored transactions. Write down the path name and close ZipForm. Open Windows Explore (right click the Start button and select Explore) and find the path name where the transactions are stored. Copy all the transactions to diskette.
Next, install ZipForm on your new computer if you haven't already done so. Transfer the files from the diskette to ZipForm by opening Explore on the new computer and finding the path associated with "Local." Copy the files from the diskette to that directory.
ZipForm indicates I need to do an update even though I've already done one. How do I stop the notice from reappearing?
ZipForm is programmed to prompt the user regarding updates each time ZipForm is opened. To change the default, select Options from the "Checking for Updates" window and choose how frequent the program should check for updates.
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A Note About Workman's Compensation Insurance
On November 26, 2002 President Bush signed into law the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 (TRIA). TRIA became effective November 26, 2002 and will terminate on December 31, 2005. Recovery for damages due to any act that is certified by the Secretary of the Treasury to be an act of terrorism will be shared by insurance carriers and the federal government.
With the enactment of TRIA all insurance carriers are required to offer terrorism coverage and clearly indicate what the cost of this coverage is. For polices in force as of November 26, 2002 insurers must make a mandatory offer of coverage and disclose the premium by February 24, 2003. Notices will be going out to every policy holder for each policy that is insured through the insurance companies.
Effective immediately, insurance carriers are mailing disclosure notices for all policies that were in-force on November 26, 2002 and new and renewal polices effective between November 27, 2002 and a future date that they will select (some carriers are indicating mid March 2003) indicating that TRIA coverage is provided at no premium charge for the duration of the policy period. If policies fall between these dates no action will be required of the policyholders other than to review their disclosure notices. The disclosure notices will indicate that the premium charge for coverage is subject to change on future renewals.
The only cost seen to date for this coverage is in the Worker's Compensation area. On January 16, a notice was issued by the Wisconsin Compensation Rating Bureau indicating that the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance had approved the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act Endorsement for Workers Compensation. A charge of $0.03 per $100 of payroll will be charged for this coverage.
The real estate industry, along with every other industry, individual and homeowner, has been seeing and will continue to see increases in insurance premiums and slower processing of their policies due to the additional paper work required.
Even with all the paper work TRIA is creating it should help the real estate and construction industries by providing the coverage that lending institutions and investors are demanding.
For more information on this Act and it's impact on your coverage please visit the following Web sites:
www.ustreas.gov,
www.naic.org and www.wcrb.org.
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United Parcel Service Rate Increase
Even though UPS announced a rate increase as of January 6, 2003, you can still save money on letters and packages. UPS and the WRA have a partnership, which means members of the Wisconsin
REALTORSŪ Association receive the following incentives off of UPS published rates:
- $1.50 off Next Day Air Letters (guaranteed delivery by next morning)
- 10% off Next Day Air packages (guaranteed delivery by next morning)
- 10% off 2nd Day Air A.M. letters and packages (guaranteed delivery on the 2nd business day by noon)
- 20% off Worldwide Express Letters and packages (international delivery guaranteed in 1 to 2 business days)
You can drop off your overnight documents at one of their 55,000 convenient drop box locations nationwide or we can pick them up for you at your office. Just give UPS a call at 1-800-Pick-UPS or go to
www.ups.com for drop box locations, on call air pickup, and for ordering shipping supplies. If you would like UPS air account in which you are only billed when you ship, or if you already have a UPS account number but are not yet receiving any of the above discounts, please
fax the following information to your state representative Krista Lumpp at: (262) 785-7289
Company:
Your name:
Your Phone number:
Street Address:
City, State, Zip:
UPS Shipper number (if any):
Email address (optional):
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WRA-Endorsed REGIT, Inc. Announces Introduction
of New Health Products
There are now two new products from REGIT, Inc. available to Wisconsin REALTORS(r) Association members:
- Humana Health Insurance for Individuals
- Stand Alone Dental Coverage
As of January 17, 2003, REGIT, Inc. has two new medical products, including a PPO health plan underwritten by a major national carrier and a dental plan for individuals.
Humana One Individual Products has introduced a PPO-based product-guaranteed to be renewable for life-that offers individuals portability and options for additional benefits such as prescription drug coverage. Humana has an A. M. Best's rating of A (Excellent) and enjoys considerable name recognition, having been in the healthcare business for over 40 years. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, the Humana rates are most competitive compared with those of other carriers in the state.
Also available is a new dental plan underwritten by Ameritas Life Insurance Corp., also rated A (Excellent) by A. M. Best. For as little as $23.37 a month, the plan helps reduce the expense of periodic preventive and diagnostic procedures, like teeth cleaning and x-rays, as well as restorative expenses such as fillings and crowns. It also provides orthodontia benefits for children as well as adults. Unlike many other plans available to individuals, the REGIT/Ameritas plan lets participants choose their own dentist.
To quote Donna Freestate, President of REGIT, Inc., "We are very pleased to add these quality products to the portfolio of products already available through REGIT," finding quality health products at a competitive price continues to be quite a challenge for independent salespeople, but the introduction of these new plans provides additional options for the real estate industry."
To receive a personalized quote and a brochure describing the new plans, members can contact REGIT, Inc. at 800-537-9786 or at
www.regitinc.com.
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