RULES REPORT
Rule Amendments Adopted

Following a public hearing in Raleigh on November 7, the Real Estate Commission voted to amend certain rules affecting applicants for real estate licenses, real estate brokers and salesmen, applicants for appraiser licensure and certification, licensed and certified appraisers. and appraisal courses and instructors. The rules, as amended:

1. Request applicants for real estate licenses to furnish their Social Security Numbers.
2. Increase the annual renewal fee for real estate licenses to S25 (previously $20).
3. Permit exceptions to the appraiser prelicensing/certification course pre-requisite requirements only when the person has education equivalent to the pre-requisite course(s)
4. Require instructors of residential appraiser courses to have education equivalent to that required for state-certified residential appraisers, and instructors of general appraiser courses to have education equivalent to state-certified general appraisers.
5. Require applicants for appraiser licensure and certification to score at least 75 on their license/certification examination.
6. Require state-licensed/certified appraisers to display their licenses/certificates in their places of business.
7. Require state-licensedkerdfied appraisers who sign appraisal reports prepared by persons under their supervision to accept full responsibility for such reports.
8. Specify that appraisal reports issued in federaUy related transactions be in writing.
9. Require state-licensedkerUfied appraisers to comply with the "Appraisal Reports" rule with regard to appraisals performed by state-licensed/cerdfied appraisers and unlicensed/uncertified assistants awing under their supervision.

These rules became effective February 1, 1991. A complete copy of the rules may be obtained without charge by writing or caning the Commission office.

Rules Proposed

The Real Estate Commission, pursuant to authority vested in it by the General Statutes of North Carolina, proposes to amend certain rules contained in Title 21, Chapter 58 of the North Carolina Administrative Code, to be effective July 1, 1991.

With regard to course sponsom seeking approval of courses for appraiser continuing education credit, the rules generally establish minimum standards for appraisal continuing education courses, including setting the application fee for course approval; establishing the criteria for course approval with regard to subject matter, instructors, minimum course length (3'h hours) and operational requirements; specifying the form and manner for verifying students' sadsfamory completion of courses; setting forth the grounds for withdrawal or denial of course approval; and establishing requirements for maintaining course records and effecting changes in approved courses.

Regarding state-ucensed and state-certified real estate appraisers seeking continuing education credit for courses which they have completed, the rules generally:

1. Require appraisers to complete ten (10) classroom hours of continuing education by the second June 30 following licensure or certification, and each June 30 thereafter.
2. Describe the subject matter of courses which are acceptable for continuing education purposes.
3. Require that at least 3 % hours of the 10 classroom hour requirement cover topics related to "Appraisal Law" (erg., N.C. Real Estate Appraiser Am and rules, Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice, act).
4. Provide that instruction in acceptable subjects be at least 3% classroom hours in duration.
5. Prescribe attendance requirements and requirements for reporting continuing education courses taken.
6. Prohibit the "carry-over" of excess continuing education credits to subsequent years.
7. Set forth the procedure and fee (550 per course) for seeking approval of equivalent courses and education activities and the criteria for determining the equivalency.
8. Describe the conditions under which the completion of certain pre-licensing/precertification appraisal courses may be accepted for continuing education credit.
9. Describe the procedure and conditions under which licensees and certificate holders may be granted additional time to complete their continuing education.

Any person interested in the Commissfon's proposals may present oral or u~ritten comments at a public rulemaking bearing to he beta at 9:00 a.m. on April 3, 1991 at the Real Estate Commissfon Office, 1313 Nauabo Drive, Raleigh, Nortb Carolina. Written comments not presented at the bearing should be delivered by the bearing date to the Nortb Carolina Real Estate Commission Office, RQ Box 17100, Raleigh, Nortb Carolina 27619-7100.

This the Ist day of February, 1991.