Divorce Real Estate Questions
FAQ: CE & CLE

Divorce Real Estate Questions:

Q: Is Tuition for the Divorce This House^TM CE Course Expensive?

Q: What do the initials in the RCS-D^TM Designation stand for?

Q: How is Divorce Real Estate different from "ambulance chasing"?

Q: Why is Divorce Real Estate the "elephant in the corner" of family courts nationwide?

Q: What is the Divorce This House^TM Legislative Initiative?

Q: Isn't the sale of a divorce house the same as the sale of a non-divorce house?

Q: Do you offer CE courses only for real estate agents? Do you offer CLE courses only for lawyers? CME courses for mediators?

Q: What is CE? What is CLE?

FAQ: Answers to Your
Divorce This House^TM Questions

FAQ: Answers to Your Divorce This House^TM Questions:

Q: Is Tuition for the Divorce This House^TM CE Course Expensive?

A: Our goal is to "over-deliver" during and after the course.

We do not charge $10 per CE hour. In fact, we charge more than $10 per CE hour, because the Divorce This House^TM CE Course is:

(1) Educational - written by a Harvard-trained lawyer/REALTOR^®, Divorce This House^TM emphasizes law, finance/mortgage, house valuation/value, tax, auction/foreclosure, bankruptcy, title/joint tenancy and other real estate issues exacerbated by Divorce.

Attendees must achieve a grade of 80% or better to pass the comprehensive final examination.

(2) a Designation with a Difference - as the official RCS-D^TM Designation course, Divorce This House^TM provides qualifying REALTORS^® with post-course education, professional networking among divorce professionals (lawyers, mediators, accountants, financial planners) and public outreach opportunities to build each RCS-D^TM REALTOR^®'s divorce real estate niche.

Additionally, RCS-D^TM REALTORS^® are part of a unique, state legislative initiative to: provide comprehensive house valuation and evidence of house value (admissible in court) and educate divorcing spouses regarding the legal, financial/mortgage and tax issues for truly equitable divorce house disposition.

(3) Instantly Useable - As a comprehensive course, much of Divorce This House^TM enhances resale of divorce and non-divorce houses (listing presentations; house preparation & presentation and resale management), including our innovative Get Ready First Budget.^TM

(4) Professionally Profitable - Home owners considering divorce often confidentially contact real estate-related professionals before retaining legal representation. RCS-D^TM REALTORS^® benefit from reciprocal referrals among and between: mortgage lenders, accountants, financial analysts as well as lawyers and mediators.

Q: What do the initials in the RCS-D^TM Designation stand for?

A: RCS-D^TM stands for: Real Estate Collaborative Specialist - Divorce.^TM

Q: How is Divorce Real Estate different from "ambulance chasing"?

A: One of the riskiest options for divorce real estate is keeping the house. Equally risky during the divorce process is using "Appraisal - Mortgage" which likely overvalues equity for purposes of Equitable Distribution (as distinguished from loan assessment for which appraisals are designed).

RCS-D^TM REALTORS^® are trained to obtain more/earlier: that is, more real estate investigation and information, much earlier in the divorce process. The result is actual equity based on more evidence of house value (e.g., condition from a home inspection and title/lien status from a title search - ideally conducted before any property settlement negotiations and before any mandatory mediation and trial).

RCS-D^TM REALTORS^® empower divorcing homeowners with accurate evidence of house value for informed disposition of the marital home during divorce. This starkly contrasts the practice of "ambulance chasing" or stirring up litigation opportunities. As a result, RCS-D^TM REALTORS^® help preserve more house equity and potentially grow the marital estate (by selling a properly prepared divorce house in less time for the most possible money).

Q: Why is Divorce Real Estate the "elephant in the corner" of family courts nationwide?

A: Divorce houses that are not sold (i.e. interspousal transfers) are too often over-valued or at least incorrectly valued based on over-reliance on appraisal(s) and/or inadequate valuation/evidence from either or both divorcing spouses. For example, without a home inspection and at least 1 title search before transfer between former spouses, the real estate is likely over-valued (from hidden defects and/or clouded title among other post-divorce legal and financial challenges).

Similarly problematic, the remaining divorce houses are generally sold (and prepared for sale) after the divorce decree is finalized and signed by the judge, that is:

after the house valuation process;

after the court assessed house value;

after the court divided the house “equity” between divorcing spouses;

after the Marital Dissolution [or Property Settlement] Agreement (a binding contract between divorcing spouses only modifiable by fraud or agreement of both parties and not subject to future “change of circumstances” review); and

after the divorce is final (and final distribution of marital assets – a key motivating factor during the divorce process). Although post-divorce motions to compel and contempt sanctions remain available, this option essentially re-opens a completed divorce (with extra legal fees and court costs).

After is oftentimes too late for divorcing families!

Thus, we encourage more/earlier - that is, more evidence of house value & more detailed house valuation much earlier in the divorce process and definitely before property settlement negotiations.

And we seek to empower divorcing home owners to Move Forward With More^TM through divorce real estate education.

We combine CE or continuing education (for REALTORS^® and other real estate-related professionals) with CLE or continuing legal education (for lawyers and family mediators) as well as public workshops and education seminars (for divorcing home owners).

Q: What is the Divorce This House^TM Legislative Initiative?

A: Most states provide (through statutes, court rules, fill-in forms, seminars/classes) detailed guidance for divorcing spouses regarding: child custody/visitation; child support (guidelines); alimony (calculation, duration, classification).

Although the marital home generally accounts for 60% of a family's net worth, there is nearly no state-prescribed guidance for divorce real estate.

Divorce real estate guidance is desperately needed by today's divorcing home owners, to minimize divorce-related costs/fees and maximize divisible house equity. This allows divorcing home owners to "Move Forward With More^TM."

Given the real estate information gap for divorce, we developed a state-based pilot program directed to: house valuation (means of calculation); evidence of house value (admissible in court); and divorce real estate seminars for divorcing spouses (law, finance/mortgage, title/tenancy, tax, default/foreclosure, house preparation/sale pursuant to divorce, etc.).

In addition to innovative content, the Divorce This House^TM Legislative Initiative is designed for collaborative implementation, leveraging the substantive expertise and legislative experience of the respective Real Estate and Family Law & Mediation regulatory and/or professional communities (state commissions, associations and bar organizations).

RCS-D^TM REALTORS^® and RCS-D^TM Affiliates enjoy a professional advantage regarding the introduction of the Divorce Real Estate Legislative Initiative to divorcing spouses.

Q: Isn't the sale of a divorce house the same as the sale of a non-divorce house?

A: In a word - no. Some of the differences include:
(1) REALTORS^® know a divorce house when they see one. This can financially disadvantage the divorcing sellers when negotiating with buyers and the buyers' agent. RCS-D^TM REALTORS^® are trained to successfully address both Condition (home inspection, home improvement) and Presentation (home staging & MLS-friendly photography). The result is buyer-friendly model home/ready to move in - required for today's house resale market.

(2) REALTORS^® are among the only professionals during a divorce that represent both spouses at the same time. RCS-D^TM REALTORS^® seamlessly unite the seemingly separate interests of each spouse for successful resale of the marital home (in less time for the most money possible).

Q: Do you offer CE courses only for real estate agents? Do you offer CLE courses only for lawyers?

A: We currently teach 12 CE hours for real estate agents and 6 CE hours for home inspectors.

We similarly teach divorce real estate CLE for lawyers and family mediators.

Divorce real estate educational programs are pending for additional professionals: mortgage consultants, accountants, and financial analysts. Note: these programs are required to earn the RCS-D^TM Affiliate designation but are not offered for Continuing Education hours/credits.

Q: What is CE? What is CLE?

A: CE stands for Continuing Education; CLE stands for Continuing Legal Education; and CME stands for Continuing Mediation Education.

In order to renew a state license or listing and/or national certification, certain professionals are required to complete a minimum number of CE, CLE or CME hours, respectively.

To qualify, CE, CLE and CME courses must be preapproved by the licensing or certification agency/entity.

Generally, real estate agents and home inspectors are required to to complete CE hours every two years.

Lawyers and mediators are similarly required to to complete CLE hours every two years in order to renew their license, listing and/or certification. Mediators are required to complete CME hours every two years as well.

Note: REALTOR^® and REALTORS^® are registered trademarks of the National Association of REALTORS^®.

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