Carol Lawhun, CRS, ABR, CNE & Scott Lawhun, CNE

1. Licenses can be denied on the grounds of moral turpitude. If a student is concerned if the commission would deny thier license (perhaps for writing insufficient funds checks, or for a bankruptcy, for example), there is a conditional application available on the SD Real Estate Commission website. This allows a person to apply for the license on the condition they will meet the requirements before spending money on the school and tests.  
2. South Dakota requires 116 hours of education to start the process. The different schools (which can be found on the SD Real Estate Commission website - http://www.state.sd.us/sdrec/) will offer you different choices - some offer the first 54 hours of class taught either through a CD-ROM or online as a self-paced study course, followed by 62 hours in the classroom. Others offer the entire 116 hours in the classroom. Some schools offer all daytime/weekday classes, others may offer nights or weekends. There is not a standard rate between the schools. As with most businesses, we do our own market research and set our own rates. This will include both national materials and SD state law materials. (SD License Law can be downloaded from the SD Real Estate Commission website given earlier. The schooling is to prepare the student for step two - the state tests.
3. After completion of all 116 hours, the student has two years to pass both state tests and apply for the license. At two years and one day, they need to start over from the beginning. Both tests are given on a computer and adminstered through www.goamp.com. One test is a multiple choice test, similiar to the tests given in the 54-hour portion of the class. The student needs to pass both national law and SD law portions of the test with a 75% score. The other test is a simulation test rather than a standard multiple choice test. It will combine information gathering skills and decision making skills into story problems. The student needs to pass both the information gathering section and the decision making section with a 75% score. Each time the student takes either test the charge is $95. (So the goal is to pass them both the first time for a total of $190).

 For more details please contact me, by phone, 605-390-2338, or email caroll@PropertyByReferral.com. I look forward to talking to you!