Real Estate Educators Conference

Sets new Attendance Record

 

An enthusiastic crowd of just over 250 instructors, school officials, authors and publisher representatives attended the 2008 Real Estate Educators Conference held in Raleigh on April 14-15, 2008. This year’s number of participants breaks all previous attendance records for the Commission-sponsored event. 

Highlights of the first day’s program included a presentation by instructor Tony Hawkins of Durham Technical Community College on Creating an Effective Adult Learning Environment, and a discussion of the criminal record report requirement, including suggestions for obtaining the report in a timely fashion, by Ann Lane of Carolina Investigative Research, Inc.

“Update” sessions on prelicensing education, postlicensing education, and continuing education were conducted by Lisa McQuillen, Education & Licensing Officer, and Pamela Rorie, Continuing Education Officer. These sessions addressed matters of particular interest and importance to instructors, such as revisions to education rules, overall school and instructor performance, and current trends in real estate education and licensing.

During the first day’s luncheon, the North Carolina Real Estate Educators Association (NCREEA) held its spring meeting and traditional awards presentation under the capable direction of President Roy Faron of  J. Y. Monk Real Estate School.  The Association presented its “Program of the Year” award to Payton Warren for his book, Insurance for Consumer Protection: What Every Agent Should Know, and its “Educator of the Year” award to Lois Branning of Rowan-Cabarrus Community College.

Also during the luncheon, Commission Chairperson Melvin “Skip” Alston presented the Commission’s Billie J. Mercer Excellence in Education Award to NCREEA’s Educator of the Year, Lois Branning.   This award is presented annually in memory of  former Commission member and chairperson, Billie Mercer, who was especially dedicated to the cause of real estate education.  The name of each year’s award winner is engraved on the Mercer Award cup that is displayed in the Commission’s lobby.  Commission members Marsha Jordan  and S. R. “Buddy” Rudd, Jr. were also in attendance for the presentation.

Following the luncheon, participants were delighted to hear from the Commission’s Legal Education Officer, Tricia Moylan, who reviewed the finer points of Agency with the group. The first day’s program concluded with two “break-out” sessions each tailored for a different audience.

On the second day, Scott Iden of Countrywide Mortgage explained the history of the “mortgage industry meltdown” and discussed current lending trends, after which the Commission’s Chief Deputy Legal Counsel, Janet Thoren gave an informative presentation on Mortgage Fraud, including a discussion of the new North Carolina Mortgage Fraud Act. The conference finale was a presentation by Miriam Baer, Legal Counsel and Assistant Director of Legal Services, who covered such topics as inspection options and due diligence with the standard residential sales contract form, “shopping” offers, and material facts. The day concluded with an Open Forum in which participants had a brief opportunity to ask questions of the Commission’s legal experts: Ms. Baer, Ms. Moylan, and Ms. Thoren.

The Commission thanks North Carolina’s real estate educators for their continued support, and congratulates Lois Branning and Payton Warren for their achievements.