Explore the legal issues involved in real estate law, from investing to title examinations. You’ll not only master the essentials, but you’ll receive hands-on applications and examples that will show you how to use this knowledge in a day-to-day real estate practice.

The instructor's own enthusiasm for the subject comes through in every lesson. His extensive experience as a real estate title examiner, investor, and real property attorney helps him to present real estate law in down-to-earth terms. By mixing explanation of legal theory with specific and practical examples, the instructor draws a balance between legal philosophy and legal practice. You'll soon see just how fascinating a topic real property law can be.

Each lesson proceeds from an explanation of theory to application, helping you build a strong knowledge base as you discover how legal concepts are put into practice every day. In addition to clearly worded descriptions of real property concepts, we'll identify key words and phrases and define them on the spot to help you comprehend them. You'll also benefit from a wealth of additional materials including extensive real estate forms and practical applications of the lesson material.

Recommended Courses:

Students who enrolled in Real Estate Law were also interested in the following courses:

Syllabus:

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when the lesson is released, but you must complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

A new section of each course starts on the second or third Wednesday of each month. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

Week One

Wednesday - Lesson 01

If you've ever considered becoming a real estate broker, buying or selling a home, investing in real estate, or getting into real estate law, this is the course for you! In Lesson 1, you'll learn about the key differences between real and personal property, as well as some of the unique characteristics of land. You'll also get an overview of all the varied classifications of real property—you may be surprised by all the possibilities!

Friday - Lesson 02

If you own property, does that mean you can do anything you like with it? In today's lesson, you'll learn about what kinds of titles carry which kinds of rights. There's one type of title you'll want above all others, and you need to know about it long before you ever think about buying any real estate. We'll also look at what happens when two or more people own property together. This can get complicated, so we'll untangle who has the right to do what.

Week Two

Wednesday - Lesson 03

Most people don't know anything about property boundaries . . . until they're unpleasantly surprised by someone knocking down their back fence. In this lesson, you'll discover how to read and understand the different types of property descriptions, how to avoid disputes about them, and how to make this inside knowledge work for you.

Friday - Lesson 04

In Lesson 4, you'll learn about the basic contract requirements involved in selling property. Don't worry, though—it's not just dry theory! I'll also introduce you to the typical people involved in a sale and walk you through the usual procedures. Then we'll dive into a topic many people regard as a potential gold mine: foreclosures. We'll straighten out some common misconceptions and see just what's involved in bidding on foreclosed property.

Week Three

Wednesday - Lesson 05

When you sell property, what items can you take with you and what must remain? This issue involves the law of fixtures, and most buyers and sellers don't know anything about it. But you will! You'll learn how and why a seller can remove a refrigerator but not the antique doorknobs. We'll also look at the important issue of easements, which give a non-owner the right to use part of someone else's land. Both of these topics are absolutely essential for anyone considering buying or selling real estate.

Friday - Lesson 06

In this lesson, we'll track the negotiations that go on when you buy and sell real estate. You'll learn what a contract actually does, and you'll explore two of the most common real estate contracts: the "listing agreement" and the "offer to purchase and contract of sale." Then we'll follow a sale from the posting of the For Sale sign to the offers, counteroffers, rejections, and finally to the acceptance.

Week Four

Wednesday - Lesson 07

If you've ever been a tenant or plan to become a landlord, then you should pay particular attention to this lesson. Here we'll examine landlord-tenant law, exploring what rights and obligations each has to the other. You'll see when and how a landlord can evict a tenant and how tenants can protect themselves. And we'll walk step-by-step through the terms of a typical lease.

Friday - Lesson 08

Anyone who plans on owning real estate must know about deeds. A deed simply transfers ownership rights, but if you've ever tried to read one, you know just how confusing they can be. In this lesson, we'll decipher all the parts of the deed, clarifying what each clause means and how each part impacts your ownership rights. We'll also discuss ways to make sure the owner transfers all of his or her legal rights in the property to you.

Week Five

Wednesday - Lesson 09

Mortgages can be just as confusing as deeds! So in this lesson, we'll demystify them by discussing what a mortgage is, what "prequalification" and "preapproval" are, and what lenders look for before entering into a mortgage with a borrower (especially credit issues). You'll also see what types of mortgages you can choose from and understand the good and bad points of each.

Friday - Lesson 10

Real estate closings often seem overwhelming. So many papers are flying around, and if you're the buyer, you're signing things without really knowing what they are. And then there's the whole issue of closing costs, which can add several thousand dollars to the sale. In this lesson, you'll meet the people involved in a typical closing, see what documents the closing professional needs, learn about the ones a buyer must sign, and what the costs are and where they come from. By the time you finish this lesson, you'll feel much more comfortable with this process!

Week Six

Wednesday - Lesson 11

Who creates zoning rules and how? What can a zoning ordinance regulate? How are they enforced? If you need to get around one, can you? These are just some of the questions you'll find answers to in this lesson. We'll also take a look at an area of law most people don't know about—but it can have a huge impact on all types of property owners. That's restrictive covenants. Last, you'll learn what kind of action you can take if your neighbor becomes a big nuisance.

Friday - Lesson 12

In our final lesson, we'll survey the various types of professions tied to real estate. If you're interested in becoming a real estate agent, you'll learn about the process here. We'll also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of real estate investing to help you decide if this is something you'd like to do. And we'll finish up by profiling other careers, such as surveyors, real estate paralegals, appraisers, inspectors, and more.

This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Neal Bevans.

Neal Bevans is a former Assistant District Attorney. A veteran of over 150 trials, Bevans has tried every major felony from rape, murder, and narcotics to armed robbery. One of his cases was televised nationally on Court TV. He has a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Georgia (Order of the Barrister) and has been a college instructor for over 10 years. He has also presented numerous seminars to medical professionals about the legal field, including training seminars for legal nurse consultants and sexual assault nurse examiners. In addition to practicing real estate law, he also worked as a title examiner and bought and sold real estate investment properties. An author of fiction and nonfiction material, his textbook Criminal Law and Procedure for Paralegals, was published in 2002. His second textbook, Tort Law for Legal Assistants, was published in 2003. He has also published numerous magazine articles about many aspects of the legal and medical fields, including articles focusing on developing a legal nurse consulting practice. He is also a contributing columnist to Legal Assistant Today magazine.

Requirements:

Internet access, e-mail, the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and the Adobe Flash and PDF plug-ins (two free and simple downloads you obtain at http://www.adobe.com/downloads by clicking Get Adobe Flash Player and Get Adobe Reader).

Student Reviews: