How To Study For The Florida Real Estate State Exam

One of the most frequent calls I get is when someone says, “I am taking the exam in ___ days, what should I be doing?”  I know the person wants some hack that says if you take chocolates the exam proctor you will pass.  Unfortunately, there are no hacks.  Instead I tell them what they should’ve been doing for the past several weeks.

First and foremost, you need to read the book cover to cover.  You do not need to read it ten times.  In fact, reading it ten times is a waste of time.  Read it once.  While you are reading it, make flashcards and take notes.  After you finish a short part of the reading, explain it out loud in your own words.  If you can’t explain it, you didn’t really read it – your eyes glossed over it, but that isn’t reading.  Going forward, you will study from your notes and flashcards.

Figure out someway to practice retrieving information.  I like flashcards, but it isn’t the only way.  What does retrieving information mean?  It means testing yourself to be sure you know the information.  You can repeat to yourself a million times, “Tallahassee is the capital of Florida.”  You won’t know if you know that until someone says, “What is the capital of Florida?”  This retrieval step is what most people skip in their studying and it is the most important part.

Why do people skip it?  Because it takes more effort.  They would rather watch another video.

Use material that is written for Florida.  If you are watching videos or using practices exams that you bought online, be sure you are buying it from a Florida based school.  Real estate laws vary in each state.  The way the test is given varies in each state.  If you are studying for the national real estate test (which we don’t have in Florida), don’t be surprised when you fail the Florida test.

But aren’t the definitions the same in every state?  Yes and no.  You can read more about that in this post.

When you are studying, don’t focus on getting the correct answer.  Focus on how you got it.  Let’s say you are trying to learn math… on the exam, the only thing that matters is getting the correct answer.  In practicing, you need to focus on how you got it.  If you don’t know how you got it, you won’t be able to repeat it.  If you can’t repeat it, it’s not a sound method.

Teach the material to other people.  Teach it to your dog.  Teach it to your teddy bear.  Anyone will work.  When you can explain the material in your own words, you are far better off than when you can’t.

Lastly, it’s not a two-day plan.  If you are calling me the night before the exam asking me what you should be doing, it is too late.  If two months ago, you realized that you need to lose ten pounds to fit into the dress for the big day, and 24-hours before the event, you haven’t lost the weight, it’s too late.  It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Good luck.  Feel free to call me.  If you are calling five hours before the exam asking me what you should be doing, I’m going to tell you it’s probably too late to worry about that.  You should’ve called me five weeks ago.

Please note that neither Karen Climer nor Ron Climer have any affiliation with Climer School of Real Estate.  Ron Climer sold Climer School of Real Estate in 2014.  It is now owned by a large corporate conglomerate.  Karen Climer owns Demetree School of Real Estate.

By |2022-12-12T17:02:44-05:00January 31st, 2022|

What Questions Do People Miss The Most On The Florida Real Estate State Exam?

The pass rate for the Florida state exam is dropping.  For August 2021, it dropped to 38%.  I obtained a list from the Florida Bureau of Education and Testing that had some tips for real estate students.  In other words, these are the areas that most people are getting incorrect right now…

Helpful Study Hints for Instructors and Examinees

  1. Know that Chapter 720, F.S. is the Florida Law that deals with Homeowners’ Associations.
  2. Review expenses that are deductible on federal income taxes for a principal residence.
  3. Review Chapter 475.612, F.S., and that Florida Law prohibits real estate licensee from referring to a comparative market analysis as an appraisal.
  4. Know that the income capitalization approach is the primary approach in appraising income-producing properties.
  5. Review street paving assessment; remember to calculate only the owner’s half of the paving assessment, so this would require the candidate to divide the total share of the cost in half.
  6. Review the definition of an easement in gross and that this particular easement benefits the company that owns it.
  7. Have candidates review the formula for Interest on Assumed Mortgages.
  8. Review the definition for an option contract; candidates seem to have difficulty on whether the option contract is a bilateral versus a unilateral contract; we require that they know it is a unilateral contract.
  9. Review the definitions for Special Purpose Deeds (i.e. personal representative’s deed, guardian’s deed, committee’s deed, and tax deed).
  10. Review purchase money mortgage and that the mortgage is taken back by a seller from a buyer.
  11. Review the definitions of separate property versus personal property.
  12. Review the definition of a notice of noncompliance and that the DBPR may issue it for a first- time minor violation by a licensee.

If you don’t know what some of this means, check out my cram class.  I think it’s the best state exam review in the state.  If you don’t believe me, just check out what my former students say about it.

Please note that neither I, nor anyone in the Climer family, has any affiliation with Climer School of Real Estate.  My father, Ron Climer, sold the school in 2014.  You can find us at Demetree School of Real Estate in Orlando, Florida.

 

By |2021-12-17T05:12:17-05:00September 13th, 2021|

Where Does Karen Climer Teach Real Estate Classes?

Today, I got a call from someone (for simplicity, we’ll call her Jane) who had heard about me, Karen Climer, and wanted to take a real estate class with me.  Jane did an internet search and called Climer School of Real Estate.  The person who answered the phone said that Climer School of Real Estate is now owned by another company.  But Jane is in luck because Karen was teaching the next class.

Jane registered for the class thinking that Karen Climer would be the instructor, but it was actually another person named Karen.  Was this school intentionally misleading Jane?  I don’t know.  I can only guess.  Jane told me she wasn’t very happy about it and thought that I would be teaching the class.

Jane has since learned that the Climer family sold that real estate school in 2014 and that there are no Climer family members at any Florida real estate school other than Demetree School of Real Estate, which is owned by Karen Climer.

The Climer legacy continues at Demetree School of Real Estate, which is growing quickly.  Our students consider Demetree School of Real Estate to be the best real estate school in Central Florida.

Please note that neither I, nor anyone in the Climer family, has any affiliation with Climer School of Real Estate.  My father, Ron Climer, sold the school in 2014.  You can find us at Demetree School of Real Estate in Orlando, Florida.

By |2021-12-17T05:12:59-05:00August 19th, 2021|

When Can I Take The Florida Real Estate State Exam After I Review The Exam?

PearsonVue, the company that administers the Florida Real Estate State Exam, offers a service called the review or playback.  If you fail the exam, you can schedule an appointment to review your exam.  They will show you all of the questions that you answered incorrectly and tell you the correct answer.

You don’t get a print out.  You can’t write the answers down to take them home and study.  But you do have three hours of study time at the test center, where you can review those questions.  The people who do this, usually think it is beneficial.

If you plan to review the test, I would recommend you take the full three hours and treat this like a study session.  Since you can’t write the questions down, you won’t remember them from one quick reading – treat it like a study session and take the full time.

The biggest reason people tell me that they don’t want to do this is that they were told you have to wait 21 days to retake the exam after the review.  This is incorrect information.  You can take it again very quickly (based on availability).  You can only have one appointment on the books at a time.  For example, you can’t have a review scheduled on Monday and a test scheduled on Tuesday.  However, after you review the test on Monday, you can call and try to get it scheduled for Tuesday.

Why do people say you have to wait 21 days to take the exam?

When you review the exam, you have 21 days to appeal a question.  For that reason, the online registration will not allow you to register again for 21 days.  However, if you call Pearson Vue at 888-204-6230, they can override the 21-day waiting period over the phone.  To override the 21-day waiting period, you have to waive your right to appeal.

Please note that Karen Climer has no affiliation with Climer School of Real Estate.  Karen’s father, Ron Climer, sold the school in 2014.  It has changed hands again.  If you are looking for Karen Climer or Ron Climer, we are both at Demetree School of Real Estate.

By |2021-08-20T10:03:31-04:00May 26th, 2021|

Purchase Money Mortgage on the Florida Real Estate State Exam

Who takes back mortgage in a purchase money mortgage (PMM)?

  1. Seller
  2. Buyer
  3. FHA
  4. Fannie Mae

 

A few weeks ago, a student told me this was on the Florida real estate sales associate state exam.  A purchase money mortgage is when the seller holds the mortgage, or when the seller takes back the mortgage, so the answer is A.

This concept is pretty foreign to a lot of people.  Back in the good old days, this was how people always bought property.  It still happens today, but it’s not as common.

Let’s say you own a house free and clear.  I come along and want to buy it for $100,000.  I don’t have that much money, but I do have $30,000.  I ask you to hold the mortgage.  You deed the property to me, so I now own the property.  But you are holding the mortgage.  You are acting as the bank.  I send you a payment every month.  If I don’t make the payments, you can have the house foreclosed on.  You do everything the bank would do.  That’s called a purchase money mortgage – when the vendor is the lender.

Real life application: Let’s say your buyer finds the home of her dreams for $150,000.  The bank is going to give her $100,000.  She has $30,000 cash.  So she’s $20,000 short.  Ask the seller to hold a $20,000 purchase money mortgage.

By |2019-09-06T14:25:07-04:00September 6th, 2019|
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