Real Estate

Real Estate Principles & Practices
This course meets the minimum requirements as set forth by the Connecticut Real Estate Commission and Department of Consumer Protection for application to take the sales associate exam. Led by Terry Hastings with additional instructors. All instructors are licensed brokers with years of experience as well. Terry Hastings has taught Real Estate Principles and Practices in Ridgefield for the past ten years. He is now with Hamilton Mortgage and has over 18 years prior experience in Real Estate sales and management with Weichert, Realtors and Prudential, Fitzgerald & Hastings. Lonnie Shapiro has been a realtor in Ridgefield for over 30 years, has been teaching several years, and works for Prudential Connecticut Realty. Brad Kimmelman is an experienced realtor with The Kimmelman-Gutman Group at Keller Williams Realty in Ridgefield who has been teaching Real Estate for several years. Sharon Greene is a realtor with Remax/Home Center. Tuition includes 2 texts.
21 Sessions $399 (Ridgefield Sr./Disab. $227), including 2 texts
Mon./Wed., 2/11, 13, 25, 27; 3/3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, 26, 31; 4/2, 7, 9, 21, 23, 28, 30 & 5/5 - Please note that the start and end dates have changed from the Winter brochure.
6:30 to 9:30 p.m.; Venus Building - 2nd floor

Next class starts September 2008.

Preparing Your Home for the Market (or to Enjoy It Yourself)
Lonnie Shapiro, co-author of the Connecticut issue of How to Make Your REALTOR® Get You the Best Deal, presents a general discussion of what buyers see when they look at a house and the before and after benefits of staging. She has arranged a variety of guest speakers including professional stagers and a professonal organizer who will explain what you should start doing. Participants will view a video of a major real estate trainer discussing preparing your home for the market. There will be a panel discussion including a building inspector and an attorney who will provide more information on additional ways to prepare for your eventual sale. A recent home purchaser will comment on what she expected when she saw houses. Lonnie Shapiro has been a realtor in Ridgefield for over 30 years, has been teaching several years, and works for Prudential Connecticut Realty.
2 Sessions $32 (Ridgefield Sr./Disab. $16)
Wed., 5/7 & 14; 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.; ERMS

QuickBooks

QuickBooks 2006 for Windows - Introduction
Prerequisite: Good computer skills. QuickBooks -- the fastest, easiest way to manage your business. Easy to use and learn, no accounting knowledge is necessary. Users will set up QuickBooks for a business and learn to record sales, record and pay bills, manage inventory and payroll options. Tracking and reporting through QuickBooks extensive reporting and graphing capability will be covered as well.
8 hours $120 (Ridgefield Sr./Disab. $60) (+$8-9 materials)
4/23, 30 & 5/7; 7:00 to 9:40 p.m.; Venus Bldg.
4/25; 5/2 & 9; 9:00 a.m. to 11:40 a.m.; Venus Bldg.

Business Writing

Business Writing
Writing is important in business, but it isn’t easy. We learned some basic writing skills in school, but we’ve forgotten some of the rules and guidelines. Some of the things we learned don’t seem to apply to what we’re writing now. This course provides an overview of business writing. It covers the mechanics of business letters, e-mail, memoranda, reports, and presentation slides. It includes gentle reminders about grammar, usage, spelling, punctuation, and difficult (or easily misunderstood) words and expressions. The exercises will help you to adjust your style to the audience and the subject and to express yourself clearly and effectively. Taught by Tom Madden. Tom Madden has a B.A. in English and more than thirty years of experience in technical and management positions in Information Technology, technical education, and technical marketing.
4 Sessions $64 (Ridgefield Sr./Disab. $32)
Mon., 4/21, 28; 5/5 & 12; 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.; ERMS

Organizing

Want to Pare Down & Simplify Your Space?
Are your hobbies, projects and collections taking over your home? Would you like to find a way to pare down and simplify your space and your life? This course will help you see things in a new way and provide you with tips and techniques to simplify the decision process of what to keep and what to let go. You’ll learn ways to lighten up and enjoy life with less and how to keep things and let them go at the same time. Then once you’ve made your choices, where you can give away, donate or sell items. Taught by Jill McKean. Jill McKean is a professional organizer. Prior to starting Organize It, she was a financial professional with over 20 years experience in business.
1 Session $19 (Ridgefield Sr./Disab. $10)
Tue., 4/29; 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.; Veterans Park