Syllabus
RLS_101_WA Fundamentals of Real Estate
Spring 2013
I. General Information
Course Number: RLS_101_WA
Title: Fundamentals of Real Estate
Instructor: Linda P. Miller, Ph.D.
Email: millerli@wccc.edu
Office Hours: Online; email me anytime; I will reply Wednesday through Saturday
Catalog Description: A basic course designed to comply with the standardized courses
required to satisfy the Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission’s salesperson educational
requirement. Topics include basic concepts in the field of real estate, property descriptions,
property development, license law, contracts, deeds, titles, conveyancing and recording.
Extensive review and practice listing is included.
II. Required Text:
Modern Real Estate Practice in Pennsylvania, 12th ed., Bellairs, /Dearborn Publishing, 2012.
ISBN: 9781427735386
III. Required Equipment/Supplies:
PC, access to the Internet, an email account, Internet Explorer, Office 2007—available in WCCC
Computer Resources Center (CRC). You will need to be able to access PowerPoint and Adobe pdf files.
Storage media: one USB Flash Drive.
IV. Reference Materials
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Textbook will be the primary reference for this course.
All lectures, supplementary materials, assignments and tests available at my.wccc.edu—Login
and click on Blackboard tab, click RLS_101_WA course.
Additional web sites will be noted on Blackboard.
V. Procedures
A. Evaluation and Grading Scheme
Evaluation
Cumulative Final Exam
(20%)
Quizzes (40%)
Assignments and Class
Participation (40%)
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There are 100 possible total points, distributed as follows: Final Exam, 20 points, Quizzes, 40
points, Assignments completed via email, 40 points. To pass the course, you must take the final.
The following scale will determine grading: 90-100%=A; 80-89%=B; 70-79%=C; 60-69%=D; 059%= F.
B. Final Exam:
This course includes a final multiple choice exam covering all of the text and assignments. You
must take the final in order to pass the course.
C. Withdrawal Policy:
Students withdrawing before midterm will receive a “W” grade. Students withdrawing after
midterm will receive a grade of “W” only if passing at the time of the request. There may be
financial issues associated with your withdrawal, and you are encouraged to meet with a
counselor prior to completing the required withdrawal form.
D. Plagiarism and Cheating:
Plagiarism, cheating and other forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Please see
the section on Student Rights and Responsibilities in the Student Handbook.
E.Classroom Conduct:
Although we are not meeting in a bricks and mortar classroom, the interchange of emails
between the students and the instructor will adhere to the standards of civil and respectful
discourse. Please consult the Student Rights and Responsibilities in the Student Handbook for
further information.
Only Westmoreland Community College email addresses will be used for all email
communication. My email address is millerli@wccc.edu. Please enter the course number in the
subject line of your emails (RLS 101). You must include your full name in the body of the email.
VI. Students with Disabilities:
If because of a disability you believe that you will need classroom accommodations, please
schedule an appointment with Mary Ellen Beres, counselor, in room 130 Founders Hall to discuss
and document your individual needs. You may also call for more information at 724-925-4189
or email at beresm@wccc.edu. You will need to follow certain procedures that will be discussed.
VII. Course Outline:
The course will explore the following topics among others:
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Real Property and the Law
Legal Descriptions of Real Estate
Forms of Real Estate Ownership
Taxes and Liens
Transfer of Title
Title Records
Real Estate Contracts
Real Estate Financing
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Real Estate Licensing Laws
VIII. Course Schedule:
The course schedule can be accessed using the Syllabus tab on the Course menu in Blackboard.
There are assignments due every week of the course which must be submitted on time (generally each
Tuesday by 5pm) to receive full credit. The Announcement page that you see when you log on to the
course in Blackboard will have notices about the week’s activities and upcoming activities. I will
generally upload new assignments on Sunday evenings and will send an email notifying you that the
assignment is available.
IX. Blackboard Help:
Students having problems with Blackboard should refer to the WCCC Student Support website
at http://wccc.edu/blackboard or contact WCCC Blackboard Support at blackboardsupport@wccc.edu
or by phone at 724.925.4144. The support personnel are available to help you with Blackboard
problems only. If you have questions about course content, please contact me. There is a brief activity
during the first week which will allow you to become familiar with Blackboard.