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Looking for a Rent-to-Own, Lease-Option or Land Contract in Wisconsin? We may have the perfect option for you! It's called the Alternative Mortgage Program. Please read the details below and visit the link for further information.

As you can see, this is much different than any other Wisconsin Rent to Own (RTO) or Land Contract program out there that we have seen. This could be the perfect conduit for you to get the home you want now, and be able to then purchase the house down the road when you can qualify for a traditional mortgage. If you are interested in hearing more about the program from the lender, please visit the link below and submit your contact information via the short form.

Blog.RockRealtyWI.com/Rent-To-Own

Feel free to also visit our Rock Realty Wisconsin home listings websites below to help with your home search! You can search through all available MLS listings in your area.

Janesville Area Homes for Sale
(http://www.JanesvilleRealtor.com)

Madison Area Homes for Sale
(http://www.MadisonWIForSale.com)

McKissock, a leader in continuing education, reveals its top-ranking land surveyor and home inspector courses, with ethics/standards and water rights coming out on top. McKissock determined these rankings by looking at its five-star rating system, which allows all class attendees to provide feedback on the courses. Read the most recent course reviews and rankings at www.mckissock.com.

McKissock is a trusted resource for the most up-to-date regulation and compliance information. An approved education provider in almost every state, McKissock offers required state-specific courses that home inspection and land surveying professionals need to keep their licenses current.

“We take student input seriously and actively use our rating system and comments sections to improve course material or make other changes,” says Annie Creek, Business Development Manager at McKissock. “Customer satisfaction is a hallmark of our business and we appreciate the feedback. We are proud of how many courses rank highly and strive for five stars every time.”

These results are purely based on user-generated star ratings, not taking into consideration the number of people who have taken the course or their availability.

Top home inspection courses include:

1. American Society of Home Inspectors  (ASHI) Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice – 4.60 stars
2. Home Inspection Safety – 4.54 stars 
3. Attic Ventilation – 4.54 stars
4. Residential Cooling Systems and Heating Pump Inspections – 4.43 stars
5. Basic Principles of a Residential Electrical Inspection – 4.37 stars
   

Top land surveying courses include:

1. Water Rights – 4.51 stars
2. Utilities - Public and Otherwise – 4.42 stars
3. Disputes Between Adjoining Landowners – 4.41 stars
4. National Flood Insurance Program: Regulatory Basics for Land Development – 4.41 stars
5. Boundaries and Monuments – 4.40 stars

In order to stay compliant with each state board, not all courses are available in every state. However, people who would like to take courses purely for informational purposes may still do so. Feel free to contact Annie Creek at McKissock at annie.creek@mckissock.com if you have any requests or questions.

To highlight the land surveying profession in an entertaining way, McKissock also recently released a meme-inspired video called “What is a Land Surveyor?”. The video takes a humorous look at what people think land surveyors do versus what they actually do on a daily basis.

To learn more about McKissock, visit www.mckissock.com. On the site, you can select a state for information on approved land surveying, engineering and home inspection courses. McKissock offers customizable packages, individual courses, correspondence books (for states that accept them), and a free license renewal reminder service.

What does a land surveyor actually do? It depends who you ask. “What is a Land Surveyor” is an entertaining video which answers that question from different perspectives: our moms, clients and the world often have different ideas about how we get our job done every day. Whether mapping floodplains, clarifying boundaries for property disputes or advising land developers, land surveyors play an important role. But do people really know what they do? This entertaining, meme-inspired video takes a comedic look at the profession.

McKissock, the creator of the video, is a trusted resource for state-specific, state-approved land surveying, engineering and home inspection courses, regulation information and compliance. This video is aimed at land surveying professionals who can laugh at the different perceptions of their career; check it out at www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoAF5sLn-Ys.

“This video is a fun way to look at an important profession that is often behind the scenes,” says Annie Creek, Business Development Manager. “No matter the career, parents and clients see us with different sets of eyes, but only people in our own area of expertise know the truth.”

For people less familiar with land surveying, it is a diverse career that requires a lot of knowledge and skills. A day in the life may look like:

- Measuring properties and pieces of land to determine boundaries;
- creating maps, land descriptions and reports;
- presenting information for legal matters, maybe even in a courtroom;
- using and understanding GPS equipment and programs;
- and much more.

Land surveyors are required to hold a state land surveyor license and keep up their continuing education. Because rules and regulations vary across the country, it can be confusing to know what is required for license renewal, including how long it will take, what forms are needed and the related fees. McKissock serves as a comprehensive resource about continuing education requirements and more. For license- and education-related questions, contact 1-800-328-2008.

For busy land surveying professionals who need a reminder for license renewal (because they are too busy climbing a mountain with heavy gear or whistling in convertibles, as you will see in the video), McKissock offers a free reminder service that will notify you when your license renewal date is approaching. Visit http://reminder.mckedu.com to sign up.

“We provide reminders, coursework and compliance information so over-burdened professionals don’t have to worry,” adds Creek. “We have a deep understanding of the lives of people who spend a lot of time in the field and don’t want to be concerned about license deadlines and paperwork.”

McKissock has affiliations directly with many associations to better assist professionals in receiving their continuing education credits.  For land surveyors, McKissock has met the standards and requirements of Registered Continuing Education Program (RCEP), provider number 127505.

From the McKissock website, state-licensed professionals have access to all they need to fulfill state requirements, including governing agency information, any mandatory topic needed for license renewal and they can begin taking required coursework immediately. McKissock offers customizable packages or individual land surveyor, professional engineer and home inspector courses. For more information, visit www.mckissock.com and search for your specific profession.

McKissock, a leader in continuing education, has compiled the top criteria that land surveying, home inspection and engineer professionals consider when selecting continuing education courses required by states and industry associations.

“We invite everyone to use these criteria to scrutinize their education choices,” says Annie Creek, Market Research and Compliance Specialist at McKissock. “The licensed professionals we work with are required to take courses, but have the freedom to select their education partners. Hopefully we can help shed some light on how continuing education can be enjoyable.”

According to ongoing research among licensed professionals, the following criteria top the list.

1. Price – The cost of courses is clearly a top priority. Take the time to compare courses, look into discounted course packages and ask about price matching.
2. Relevance – Review home inspection, engineering and land surveying courses with a lens of relevancy. In addition to what’s required, select courses that will make your job easier or better. Education providers should strive to offer classes, webinars and resources that apply directly to your daily tasks.
3. Acceptance – Most of the time, professionals seeking continuing education need to meet strict requirements for their state or industry associations. It’s critical to ensure that the courses you take meet their standards and requirements.
4. Access – Busy professionals require extra coursework to be quick and easy to find and complete. Consider courses that can be taken on-the-fly at any time.
5. Expertise – Don’t be afraid to ask about instructors’ and course authors’ experience in their respective industries. The best courses are almost always written and taught by subject matter experts who have real-world experience.

McKissock is a trusted resource for state-specific, state-approved home inspector, engineer and land surveying courses, regulation information and compliance. McKissock also serves as a resource to stay on top of license renewals. To help remove the potential of license lapse or expiration, McKissock offers a free reminder service that will notify you when your license renewal date is pending. Visit http://reminder.mckedu.com to sign up.

Visit www.mckissock.com and select a state for information on approved land surveying, engineering and home inspection courses. McKissock offers customizable packages, individual courses and affordable webinars.

The end of the year is sneaking up and McKissock, a leader in continuing education for state-licensed professionals, is issuing a reminder to home inspectors, land surveyors and professional engineers to renew their licenses. While renewal dates differ by state and association, a large portion of licenses expire at the end of the calendar year. McKissock is a trusted resource for state-specific, state-approved land surveying, engineering and home inspection courses, regulation information and compliance.

License lapses and expirations are more than just a hassle – they can be a costly mistake. To help remove the potential of license lapse or expiration, McKissock recently set up a free reminder service that will notify you when your license renewal date is pending. Visit http://reminder.mckedu.com to sign up. 

“When professionals are out and about, they aren’t always focused on deadlines and licenses,” says Annie Creek, Market Research and Compliance Specialist at McKissock. “We are the go-to resource for reminders, coursework and compliance information so home inspectors, land surveyors, and engineers don’t miss a beat.”

Rules and regulations vary by state and industry, so it can be confusing to know what is required for license renewal, such as processing time, applicable forms and related fees. However, McKissock serves as a comprehensive resource about continuing education requirements and more. If you have any questions, contact 1-800-328-2008.

“It’s important to plan ahead and ensure you have the time to meet state and association renewal requirements,” adds Creek. “However, McKissock offers a wide variety of home inspection, land surveying and engineering courses that can be taken immediately so you can get back to work.”

McKissock also has affiliations directly with associations to help professionals understand requirements and receive continuing education credits, including: the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), National Association of Home Inspectors, Inc. (NAHI), and California Real Estate Inspection Association (CREIA).

From the McKissock website, state-licensed professionals have access to all they need to fulfill state requirements, including governing agency information, and can begin taking required coursework immediately. McKissock offers customizable packages, individual courses and affordable webinars.  For more information, visit http://www.mckissock.com.

McKissock, a leader in continuing education for real estate-related professionals, now has more state-specific, state-approved home inspector courses and land surveyor education. From the McKissock website, they have access to all they need to fulfill state requirements, including governing agency information, and can begin taking required coursework immediately. McKissock offers customizable packages, individual courses and webinars that are easy to access and affordable.

In addition to understanding the requirements of state regulatory boards, McKissock has affiliations or communicates directly with associations to help professionals receive continuing education credits. Those associations include: the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), National Association of Home Inspectors, Inc. (NAHI), International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) and California Real Estate Inspection Association (CREIA).

“McKissock’s courses are dependable, accessible, low-cost and compliant, which is the formula for success for busy professionals,” says Annie Creek, New Market and Compliance Specialist at McKissock. “Since each state has different requirements, it’s reassuring to know that McKissock can verify what’s necessary to keep your license from lapsing.”

The state-specific core Home Inspection courses include:

• Connecticut
  • Connecticut Home Inspection Laws and Legislation
    
    
• Illinois
  • Electrical Service Inspections
  • Exterior Pre-Drywall Inspection
  • Foundation and Footing Construction Inspection
  • Interior Pre-Drywall Inspection
  • Plumbing Cross Connections
• New Jersey
  • Obey the Law: Standards of Practice for New Jersey Home Inspectors

• Nevada
  • Nevada Home Inspection Safety for IOS (Inspector of Structures)
  • Nevada Home Inspector Law

(Note to Nevada professionals: To renew an active certificate, a certified inspector must complete 20 hours of approved education, including, without limitation: (a) At least 3 hours of instruction on issues relating to the safety of any inhabitants of a structure being inspected and the inspector conducting the inspection; AND (b) At least 2 hours of instruction on the provisions of this chapter (laws) and chapter 645D or NRS.)

The state-specific core Land Surveying courses include:

• Alabama
  • Alabama Standards of Practice
• Arkansas
  • Standards of Practice for Arkansas Land Surveyors
• Florida
  • Florida Minimum Technical Standards and Ethics
• Idaho
  •  Idaho Minimum Standards of Practice
• Illinois
  • Standards of Professional Conduct for Illinois Land Surveyors
• Louisiana
  • Minimum Standards for Property Boundary Surveys in Louisiana
  • Professional Ethics for Louisiana Land Surveyors and Engineers
• Missouri
  • Missouri Minimum Standards
• Mississippi
  • Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct for Mississippi Land Surveyors and Engineers
• Montana
  • Montana Ethics for Land Surveyors
• North Carolina
  • Standards of Conduct for Land Surveyors and Professional Engineers in North Carolina
• North Dakota
  • Rules of Professional Conduct for North Dakota Land Surveyors and Engineers
• Nebraska
  • Standards for Nebraska Land Surveyors
• New Mexico
  • New Mexico Ethics and Professional Conduct for Land Surveyors and Engineers
• Ohio
  • Standards and Code of Ethics for Ohio Land Surveyors 
• Oregon
  • Rules of Professional Conduct for Land Surveyors and Engineers in Oregon
• South Carolina
  • Rules of Professional Conduct for South Carolina Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors
• Wyoming
  • Code of Ethics for Wyoming Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors  

McKissock is an education company that educates, empowers and enriches professionals in real estate, appraisal, home inspection, land surveying and engineering. McKissock gives specialists a place to go to access relevant, easy-to-use and high-quality courses that provide the hours and information necessary to meet state compliance and regulation requirements. Founded in 1990, McKissock offers more than 100 courses and serves thousands of professionals daily. The company is focused on providing a superior customer experience that will help professionals move their career forward. To learn more, visit www.mckissock.com.