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How to Become a Licensed Real Estate Broker in Washington
- Pick a school and do your 90 hours of course work. At Windermere, we recommend Rockwell Institute because it is consistent and has proven success at getting people prepared to pass the exam. Current cost $489 (January 2021).
- HOT TIP: There is an add on to get sample exams and extra cramming practice. GET IT!
- Do the following steps as you get closer to completing the 90 hours to break up the studying with actions that will prepare you for taking the exam and getting licensed…
- Fingerprints! The closest location to Whidbey Island is in Mt. Vernon. You can schedule your appointment on this IdentoGO site. At the time of this blog post (January 2021), it cost $42.80 for the fingerprints and background check. Go to this DOL site for more info.
- Set up a SAW account (Secure Access Washington) if you haven’t already for your driver’s license. For more info: https://www.dol.wa.gov/business/accountaccess.html
- Register as a student with AMP through psi here https://ampportal.goamp.com/School/SchoolUser/WAREPStudentRegistration.aspx.
- Register for the exam. Cost $138.25 https://online.goamp.com/CandidateHome/examination.aspx?p_category=REAL%20ESTATE&p_client_code=WAREP&p_exam_id=21311
- Once you’ve passed the exams apply for your license! https://secureaccess.wa.gov/myAccess/saw/select.do
* Contact the WA DOL Real Estate licensing department if you need extra help. We recommend emailing them instead of calling for a faster response. https://www.dol.wa.gov/business/realestate/contact.html
Follow these suggestions to get yourself mentally and physically ready to launch your real estate career:
- Pick a brokerage. Interview the top brokerages in your area. Since the real estate exam process doesn’t really give you what you need to serve people or build your own business you want to join a brokerage with a robust training program and ongoing support. Schedule a no-pressure introduction meeting with our brokerage today! Email us at WhidbeyCommunications@Windermere.com to do so.
- Change your phone number to a local area code if it is not already. Nowadays all cell phones have caller ID and everyone is screening calls from out of state numbers. Do not confuse people, all real estate is local and your phone number should be too.
- If you are beginning your real estate career in November or December then now is a great time to start collecting mailing addresses for Christmas cards.
- Read some books. We give one of our favorites out a lot!
- Snoop on the local real estate brokers.
What do you see that you like, what don’t you like? Take note! Social media is one good place to find a broker then check out top brokers’ web pages. If you don’t know any go to the website of the brokerage you’re thinking about, head to the agent’s page, and start clicking links. Ours is right here! - Interview brokers you admire. Take a broker that catches your attention online for a cup of coffee (they really do like it!). Ask them all the questions but more importantly LISTEN. Some suggested questions are…
- What do you like most about being a real estate broker? Least?
- What do you like most about your brokerage? Least?
- What advice would you give someone like me who is just getting into the business?
- Download our guide to 5 things you can do to give yourself a head start here.
PHOTOS BY: Kelsey Kurtis
Where to Buy Pumpkins on Whidbey
One of the very best things about autumn on Whidbey Island is being able to support all of our local farmers! Whether you’re looking for a Whidbey Island pumpkin patch recommendation or you’re new in town and want to start a tradition, you’ll find 3 excellent choices right here:
The Farm Stand at K & R Farms
Located at 36699 SR 20 Oak Harbor, Washington
Every Friday and Saturday night throughout October, you can embark on The Farm Stand’s Flashlight Corn Maze. The maze is open from dark until 10pm and is free for customers with a purchase. (A limited number of flashlights are available to rent if you don’t have one.) RSVP on Facebook here so you don’t forget! You can also stop by for fresh produce and of course, make time to go for a walk in the pumpkin patch.
Case Farm
Located at the end of Case Road Oak Harbor, Washington
Case Farm has been around since 1898, and they have been proud farmers for 5 generations now. This year they started a farm stand at the end of the pavement on Case Road where they sell an assortment of produce.
You can even stop by just to say hello to their animals (cows, turkeys, ducks, chickens, cats, and dogs)! Enjoy picking out a pumpkin in their field or buy some harvest decor and fresh fall produce while you’re at it. Little ones can take a turn at a toddler-friendly bale maze.
Case Farm also hosts educational visits for school and preschool groups to teach them about farming—visit their Facebook page for contact info!
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Sherman’s Pioneer Farm
Located at 46 S Ebey Rd Coupeville, Washington
Established all the way back in 1852, this Whidbey staple shines extra bright when October comes around. Visit Sherman’s Pioneer Farm to stock up on pumpkins, edible squash, and gourds; go for a trolly ride to the pumpkin patch; pick up fresh pies and other baked goods; visit their cows, and more. In previous years they’ve had a hay bale maze and a haunted house too—and of course, there are photo ops around every corner!
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Before & After – The Importance of Staging
Before & After – The Importance of Staging
By: Annie Cash
You love your home and all your stuff. You should, you live there. But what about when it’s time to move, and more importantly, sell? You want your home to appeal to buyers in a way that they could envision themselves living there.
The goal of staging is to make the home speak to everyone else, in a compelling and positive way. You don’t want your stuff distracting your buyers from the amazing features that will make your home sell.
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR MORE HELPFUL TIPS ON WHY STAGING YOUR HOME IS SO IMPORTANT
Stacks of papers —> buyer’s think there’s not enough storage
Kitchen counters covered —> buyer’s think there’s not enough cabinets
Master closet filled to the brim —> buyer’s think the closet is too small
Bedrooms with too much furniture —> buyer’s think the room is cramped and too small
When your home is clean, clutter-free, and/or staged. you are telling potential buyers that you take good care of your home, while giving them a clean slate to imagine themselves living there.
81% of Realtors said staging helps buyers visualize the property as a future home, while 46% said it makes prospective buyers more willing to walk through a home they saw online.
Ready to get started? Check out my –TIPS FOR DECLUTTERING—
So, you can either be the “house with the beautiful granite counters and fantastic views” or the “house with the National Geographic collection where the dinning table is supposed to be.”
You might be interested in…
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Before & After – The Importance of Staging
Before & After – The Importance of Staging
By: Annie Cash
You love your home and all your stuff. You should, you live there. But what about when it’s time to move, and more importantly, sell? You want your home to appeal to buyers in a way that they could envision themselves living there.
The goal of staging is to make the home speak to everyone else, in a compelling and positive way. You don’t want your stuff distracting your buyers from the amazing features that will make your home sell.
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR MORE HELPFUL TIPS ON WHY STAGING YOUR HOME IS SO IMPORTANT
Stacks of papers —> buyer’s think there’s not enough storage
Kitchen counters covered —> buyer’s think there’s not enough cabinets
Master closet filled to the brim —> buyer’s think the closet is too small
Bedrooms with too much furniture —> buyer’s think the room is cramped and too small
When your home is clean, clutter-free, and/or staged. you are telling potential buyers that you take good care of your home, while giving them a clean slate to imagine themselves living there.
81% of Realtors said staging helps buyers visualize the property as a future home, while 46% said it makes prospective buyers more willing to walk through a home they saw online.
Ready to get started? Check out my –TIPS FOR DECLUTTERING—
So, you can either be the “house with the beautiful granite counters and fantastic views” or the “house with the National Geographic collection where the dinning table is supposed to be.”
You might be interested in…
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/* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.
We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */
Purchasing Vacant Land
Purchasing vacant land:
Written by: Simona Groves
Ahhhh, the lovely earthy scent produced by the rain or the morning dew, the buzzing of the bees and the many of shades of green enchanting the view. Who doesn’t like to be immersed into nature and fantasize about living in it?
If you are one of the many Americans that would love to buy raw land and build your dream home, let me help you with this complex but exciting task.
Make sure you take into consideration these details:
If you don’t have a preferred lender let me know and I can help with the perfect match.
Understand how the land can be used. Local government usually have established zoning regulations.
Call your local planning and zoning department and they will provide you with the information.
Check the island county webpage here
We will need to do some research and this will include things that can be forgotten: utilities.
You need to make sure to check if the lot has access to public utilities: electricity, sewer, gas, water etc.
Last but not least, make sure you do thorough and expansive research about home builders.
I would be more than happy to give my recommendations.
Learn more about Simona Groves:
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How to Install Laminate Flooring
How to Install Laminate Flooring:
Written by: Anita Johnston
How many times have you thought “I can install laminate flooring” or “I wish I could do that?” Flooring is one of those renovation projects that allure newbies most often. After mastering the skill of installing your own floor it can liberate the home owner which can be good and bad for a home.
I have walked through many homes and within a second I can pick out a home owner renovation project. From spaces between cabinets that weren’t properly attached together or gaps that weren’t perfectly filled with a filler pencil. And flooring………. I have seen the worst flooring jobs while touring houses for sale. A new floor can add great value to a home. But an improperly installed floor can actually deduct value from a home. I just saw this recently with a home that the appraiser specifically noted the poor flooring installation and downgraded the value of the home.
There’s several things to keep in mind when installing flooring. Prepping the floor is a must. If you’ve removed carpet then you definitely had to endure the tedious task of removing staples that was holding down the carpet pad.
Sweeping the floor to make double sure that there’s nothing sticking up that won’t allow the floor to lie perfectly flat and level. Second you need to decide where to start. If it’s just one room that’s easier. You simply start running your flooring parallel to the entrance. Once you lay out your first row you will then take your cut board and lay it in place to start your next row. There should never be less than 4″ from the end of one board to and other ends the row before or after. You should tap the boards together until they click together and all gaps are gone.
State of the Base – November 2017
Written by Don Jaques November 29, 2017 
Today I attended the annual “State of the Base” meeting with the North Puget Sound Area Realtors. Captain Geoff Moore, Commanding Officer of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (NASWI), gave a 20 minute presentation that included some interesting facts and figures affecting life and the real estate market in the North Whidbey region.
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Update
For the last few years the Navy has been studying the environmental impact of increasing the amount of jets (most importantly the “Growler” jets) based at NASWI. This lengthy report was supposed to be finalized this fall, but some important technological changes have caused a delay in the final report, which is now expected in the fall of 2018.
What is this important technological change? Please forgive my lack of technical knowledge (I was scribbling notes as fast as I could at the meeting!) A new way of training jet pilots in their carrier landings through a simulator has shown to be very effective, and the Navy is fast-tracking it’s deployment as a training method. The advantage of this is it reduces the amount of actual “touch and go’s” that pilots need to take the noisy Growlers through.
Here are some numbers. Currently NASWI runs approximately 24,000 touch and go repetitions each year, split between the Outlying Field (OLF) in Coupeville, and the main runways at Ault Field in Oak Harbor. The worst case scenario for the amount of these repetitions with the coming of additional Growlers to NASWI in the preliminary version of the EIS was approximately 42,000 – almost a 100% increase. Captain Moore stated that with the new technology those numbers would be reduced to around 32,000. This is still a 33% increase in noise generating flights, but not nearly the increase originally projected.
TAKEAWAY: At this point there is no way to know what percentage of these touch and go trainings will happen in Coupeville, and how many will be in Oak Harbor. What is known is that the normal flight pattern is not expected to change from it’s current pattern. This means that people living in the noise zones will most likely experience an increase in the amount of time each year they experience “the sound of freedom”. Those who only occasionally experience noise from the jets will likely not notice a huge difference. (Request a noise zone map.)
The Navy and the Housing Shortage
Commander Moore showed graphs which demonstrated that we are currently at the top of the growth curve for personnel on the base (both military and civilian). Although there are still 3 squadrons slated to be transferred to NASWI in the next couple years, other changes in base operations will result in a net zero increase from the current amount of people coming in and out of the gates each day.
The Navy’s internal studies of housing within a 60 minute commute shows that there are adequate options for their personnel. Although housing is tight in Oak Harbor close to the base, their studies show there is sufficient housing within that 60-minute radius (which includes all of Whidbey Island, Fidalgo Island, and along the Hwy 20 corridor out to Sedro Woolley). For this reason, the Navy is not planning on constructing any new housing on or near NASWI in the near future.
TAKEAWAY: If these projected numbers are accurate, then the shortage of available, affordable housing now happening in North Whidbey and the surrounding regions will likely continue, but not get increasingly worse in the coming years. The Sellers’ market we have experienced the past few years is not likely to change in the near future.
Water Quality Around The Runways
In the last year contamination in underground water near Navy runways around the country has been linked to the use of a certain chemical used in putting out fires, and in training for putting out fires. This prompted testing of wells within a reasonable radius of both Ault Field and the Outlying Field. Captain Moore said that to date just over 200 homeowners have responded to the Navy’s offer to test their well. Of these, 10 wells were found to be above the EPA’s safety level for that chemical. Those homeowners have been supplied bottled water and the investigation into the severity of the problem and possible solutions is still underway.
More information about the Navy’s groundwater and drinking water investigation
TAKEAWAY: Anyone living with one mile of either Ault Field’s runways or the Outlying Field is urged to have their well tested. Also, anyone purchasing a home within these areas should require the disclosure of results from this testing before going through with a purchase.
CONCLUSION
Regardless of any individual’s feelings about living with Naval Air Station Whidbey Island nearby, life on North/Central Whidbey Island as well as Fidalgo Island involves enjoying the benefits and mitigating the negative aspects of the Navy base’s presence and “the Sound of Freedom”. Having lived on North Whidbey since 2002 I am available to answer your questions about life here including the pros and the cons. (I think the pros far outweigh the cons!)
Find more articles by Don Jaques by clicking here.
