R E Computer Applications Syllabus

COURSE SYLLABUS
REAL ESTATE COMPUTER APPLICATIONS RELE 1323
HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM

INSTRUCTOR:  John Haynie
OFFICE HOURS: Tue. & Thur. 12:30 to 5:00 Missouri City Center
E-MAIL/PHONE: john.haynie@hccs.edu /281-835-5632
CRN#:  

 PLEASE TURN OFF ALL PHONES AND PAGERS DURING CLASS

This course gives three semester hours of college credit and forty-five classroom hours of credit as a related real estate course toward licensure and credit toward an
associate's degree.

Houston Community College Real Estate Department Website: http://swc2.edu.rele
John Haynie Web Site :http://learning.swc.hccs.edu/members/john.haynie

TEXT:   None required, but the instructor may assign readings.  Student should bring several 3.5” disk.

AUDIENCE: 
Individuals who need hours as part of the requirements to acquire a Real Estate License or need hours toward a degree or a certificate of achievement, or to better understand the basics of computer applications as they apply to the real estate profession.

COURSE DECRIPTION:
A study of the available of technology, current software, and its ability to help a real estate agent to become more productive. Includes data base, mapping, mortgage interest, contact management, presentation and real estate related software applications packages.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: 
Customize computer software to the individual specialization; create prospect files and a home page; build a data base.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1. The student shall exhibit knowledge of real estate computer applications by creating several projects covering reading material from the reading assignments or lab exercises.
2. The student will demonstrate an understanding of one specific area of computer applications by preparing and presenting to the class a case study from the many applications covered in this course.
3. The student will complete the SCANS modules titled: "Maintain Technology" and "Troubleshoot Technology".

GRADING SCALE:

60%-69%  = D 70%-79%  = C 80%-89%  = B  90%-100%  = A
Below 60%   =  F Projects=50% of grade Final presentation= 50% of grade

ATTENDANCE AND ABSENCES:

The College System policy on absences is stated in the Student Handbook and the Faculty Handbook. Instructors may drop students with excessive absences.  Since the Texas Real Estate Commission requires full attendance in approved courses, any absences must be made up with the approval and concurrence of the instructor.

TARDINESS:

The Faculty Handbook states that the College System does not have a policy on students arriving late to class but that instructors may impose any sanction that they feel appropriate. Since the real estate commission requires full attendance in approved courses, any tardiness will be considered as similar to absences and will require make up as determined by the instructor. 

POLICY ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:
 
The following is an excerpt from the Student Conduct section of the College System catalog:
“Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion.” Students guilty of academic dishonesty can be given a grade of “F” or “0” for the particular test or assignment involved.

STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS:
Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Services Office at the respective college at the beginning of each semester.  Faculty is authorized to provide only accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office.

STUDENT CONDUCT:
Adult behavior is expected.  Disruptive behavior/activities, which interfere with the teaching and learning, will not be tolerated, and may result in an administrative withdrawal without refund.

Blackboard Student User ID

 

Your Blackboard login user ID will be your HCC User ID (sometimes referred to as the “W” number).  All HCC students have a unique User ID.  If you do not know your User ID you can look it up by visiting the HCC home page:

• From www.hccs.edu, click on “Login Help” under the “Student System Sign In” field
• Then click on “Retrieve User ID” and follow the instructions.

Or use the direct link: https://hccsaweb.hccs.edu:8080/servlets/iclientservlet/sauat/?cmd=start

The default student password is “distance.”  Students will then be prompted to change their password after their first login. Please visit DE Technical Support FAQs if you need additional assistance with your log in.

HCC Course Withdrawal Policy

The State of Texas has begun to impose penalties on students who drop courses excessively.  That is, if you repeat the same course more than twice, you have to pay extra tuition.  In addition, as of Fall 2007, students are limited to no more than SIX total course withdrawals throughout their educational career at a Texas public college or university. 

 

To help students avoid having to drop/withdraw from any class, HCC has instituted an Early Alert process by which your professor will “alert” you and Distance Education (DE) counselors that you might fail a class because of excessive absences and/or poor academic performance.  Contact your DE professor regarding your academic performance or a DE counselor to learn about what, if any, HCC interventions might be available to assist you – online tutoring, child care, financial aid, job placement, etc. – to stay in class and improve your academic performance. 

 

In order to withdraw from your DE class, you MUST contact your DE professor and this must be done PRIOR to the withdrawal deadline to receive a “W” on your transcript.  If you do not withdraw before the deadline, you will receive the grade that you have earned by the end of the semester.  Zeros averaged in for required assignments/tests not submitted will lower your semester average significantly, most likely resulting in a failing grade (“F”).  If you do not feel comfortable contacting your professor to withdraw, you may contact a DE counselor.  However, please do not contact both a DE counselor and your DE professor to request a withdrawal; either one is sufficient.

 

The final withdrawal deadline for regular term and second start classes is November 6, 2008 at 4:30pm. Classes of other duration (mini-term, flex-entry, 8-weeks, etc.) may have different final withdrawal deadlines. Please visit the online registration calendars or contact the HCC Registrar’s Office to determine class withdrawal deadlines.

 

 

Student Services

 

DISTANCE EDUCATION ADVISING AND COUNSELING SERVICES:
Much DE student information can be found on the DE Student Services website:  www.de.hccs.edu.  Advising or counseling can be accomplished by telephone at 713/718-5275 - option # 4 or via email at decounseling@hccs.edu. Student Services Associates (SSA) and Counselors can assist students with admissions, registration, entrance testing requirements, degree planning, transfer issues, and career counseling. In-person, confidential sessions, can also be scheduled, if necessary, as HCC counselors maintain a local referral base in order to provide appropriate referrals to students with personal or family issues that may require long-term solutions.

 

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: International Students are restricted to ONLY ONE online/distance education class per semester.  Please contact the International Student Office at 713-718-8520 if you have additional questions about your visa status.

 

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:

"Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the appropriate HCC Disability Support Service (DSS) Counselor at the beginning of each semester.  Faculty is authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the

Disability Support Services Office.

 

Students who are requesting special testing accommodations must first contact the appropriate (most convenient) DSS office for assistance:

Disability Support Services Offices:

System: 713.718.5165

Central: 713.718.6164 – also for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services and Students Outside of the HCC District service areas.

Northwest: 713.718.5422

Northeast: 713.718.8420

Southeast: 713.718.7218

Southwest: 713.718.7909

 

After student accommodation letters have been approved by the DSS office and submitted to DE Counseling for processing, students will receive an email confirmation informing them of the Instructional Support Specialist assigned to their professor.

NOTICE FOR STUDENTS WHO LIVE OUTSIDE OF HOUSTON:  Students who live or work outside the Houston area and cannot take paper exams at one of our HCC testing locations MUST make arrangements for a proctor.  Please see the DE Student Services Additional Resources webpage for more information.

 

VIRTUAL CLASSROOM CONDUCT: As with on-campus classes, all students in HCC Distance Education courses are required to follow all HCC Policies & Procedures, the Student Code of Conduct, the Student Handbook, and relevant sections of the Texas Education Code when interacting and communicating in a virtual classroom with faculty and fellow students. Students who violate these policies and guidelines will be subject to disciplinary action that could include denial of access to course-related email, discussion groups, and chat rooms or being removed from the class.

USE OF CAMERAS OR RECORDING DEVICES:

Use of recording devices, including camera phones and tape recorders, is prohibited in classrooms, laboratories, faculty offices, and other locations where instruction, tutoring, or testing occurs.  Students with disabilities who need to use a recording device as a reasonable accommodation should contact the Office for Students with Disabilities for information regarding reasonable accommodations.

MAKEUP WORK:
In accordance with Texas Real Estate Commission guidelines and departmental policy, no makeup work will be accepted ninety days or more from the ending date of the course.

HCCS Common Book:

The 2008 Common Book is

Generation Debt: How Our Future Was Sold Out for Student Loans, Bad Jobs, No Benefits, and Tax Cuts for Rich Geezers - And How to Fight Back

By: Anya KamenetzIt is available at the HCC bookstore  or borrowed from the HCCS Library.

REAL ESTATE SITES:
The following sites contain information for additional student learning and career opportunities
 in real estate; (see attached list)

SCHEDULE:

Session 1  Introduction

Session 2  Word

Session 3   Access and Excel

Session 4  Power Point

Session 5  Power Point

Session 6  Publisher
 
Session 7  Internet sites

Session 8  Internet sites

Session 9  Open (work on projects)
   
Session 10  Top Producer and Contract Software

Session 11  Work on final project

Session 12  Final Project Presentations

 

WEB SITES OF REAL ESTATE INTEREST

US GOVERNMENT
www.hud.gov      US Department of Housing and Urban Development
www.va.gov      Department of Veteran Affairs
www.ftc.gov      Federal Trade Commission
www.hud.gov/fha/sfh/res/respa_hm.html   Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act
www.fairhousing.com/     National Fair Housing Advocate
www.epa.gov      Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
www.scorecard.org/     Air Pollution Sites
www.whitehouse.gov     The White House
 STATE OF TEXAS
www.trec.state.tx.us     The Texas Real Estate Commission
http://recenter.tamu.edu    Real Estate Center at A & M
www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/statutes.htm Texas Laws
www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/pptoc.html Texas Property Code
www.texasonline.com     Texas Government e-Services (records-birth-death)
www.talcb.state.tx.us     Texas Appraiser Licensing & Certification Board
www.sml.state.tx.us     Texas Mortgage Broker Regulation
www.cpa.state.tx.us     Window on State Government (school data)
LOCAL SITES
www.hcad.org      Harris County Appraisal District
www.tax.co.harris.tx.us    Harris County Tax Collector (autos, voter registration, etc)
MORTGAGE INFORMATION
www.homepath.com     Fannie Mae’s Home Buying
www.rate.net      An Index of Loan Rates
www.eloan.com      Internet Mortgage Information
REALTOR SITES
www.realtor.com     National Association of Realtors
www.texasrealtors.com      Texas Association of Realtors
www.har.com      Houston Association of Realtors
MAPS
http://terraserver.microsoft.com    Satellite Maps
www.mapquest.com     Maps and Trip Planner
www.excite.com/travel/maps    Maps and Trip Planner
www.mapblast.com     Maps and Trip Planner
NEWS
www.inman.com      Inman News Service
www.frogpondgroup.com    Real Estate News and Information
www.realdata.com     Real Estate News and Information
www.realtytimes.com     Real Estate News and Information
www.homes.com      Home Search
www.nytimes.com     NY Times
APPRAISAL AND DATA SITES
www.loopnet.com     Listing of Commercial Properties
www.caci.com      Demographics
www.digitalcity.com     Demographic information
www.census.gov      U S Census Bureau Information

 

ORGANIZATIONS
www.alta.org      American Land Title Association
www.boma.org      Building Owners and Managers Association
www.naahq.org      National Apartment Association
www.nareb.org      National Association of Real Estate Brokers
www.irem.org      Institute of Real Estate Managers
www.nahb.org      National Association of Home Builders
www.ccim.org      Commercial Investment Institute
www.uli.org      Urban Land Institute
www.treta.org      Texas Real Estate Teachers Association
www.reea.org      Real Estate Educators Association
CLIP ART
www.presentersuniversity.com    Presentation Information and Tutorials
www.wilderpresentations.com    Presentation Information and Tutorials
www.presentationpro.com    Presentation Information and Tutorials
www.indezine.com     Presentation Information and Tutorials
www.soniacoleman.com     Presentation Information and Tutorials
www.digitalartware.com     Presentation Information and Tutorials
www.photoshare.com     Presentation Information and Tutorials
www.eclipsed.com     Clipart
www.clipart.co.uk/     Clipart
MISC.
www.gallup.com      Gallup Polls
www.geocities.yahoo.com    Free Web Page
www.homestead.com     Free Web Page
www.realtown.com     Real Estate Software
www.digitalcity.com     Demographic information

PROBLEMS AND STIGMA
www.efloodmap.com     flood info Harris County, Ft. Bend County
http://records.txdps.state.tx.us/default.cfm lists of registered sex offenders
www.openrecords.org/records/sexual offenders/texas/ same
www.ci.houston.tx.us/department/police/stats.htm    crime statistics

FORECLOSURE SITES
www.fore.com     Foreclosure Listing Service
www.brucebates.com     Bates Foreclosure Report
www.bankhome.net     Foreclosure.Net
www.4close.com     Foreclosure Online
www.all-foreclosure.com     All Foreclosure Information
www.homesteps.com     Freddie Mac’s REO Site
www.fanniemae.com/home/indexhtml   FNMA
www.bank.com     Bank of America REO Site
www.hud.gov/local/suns     HUD/FHA
www.ocwen.com                   VA
www.treas.gov/action/custom    Treasury Dept. Seizures