Best Elective to choose for California Real Estate License course

[Account Closed]

Hi everyone,

My goal is to buy and flip houses, but I have decided to start off with getting my real estate license in California. I have decided to go with Allied Real Estate School. There are two required courses: Principles and Practice. The third course is a choice:

1. Legal Aspects of Real Estate
2. Real Estate Finance
3. Property Management, 
4. Real Estate Appraisal, 
5. Real Estate Economics, 
6. Real Estate Office Administration, or 
7. Escrows.

I have read in a few places that it is recommended to take either the Legal Aspects of Real Estate or Real Estate Finance. However, since my ultimate goal is to buy and flip houses, I was thinking the Real Estate Appraisal would be better. 

I would love to hear what others think. Thank for you time.

Tim Walton

[Ron P.]

I've taken most of those courses for the broker's license, except office administration (whatever the heck that is, sounds pretty lame).  Law is the most useful imo.  Everything else you can pick up once you start doing it.  The finance course isn't going to help you flip houses in the least.  Appraisal would help only to the extent you need to learn how to estimate value using the comparison method (comps).  Learning how to comp a house is one of the most important, if not the most important skill of all when it comes to flipping and you don't need a course for that.  You do need a course but not one you will find in any academic book.

Do the legal course and read the comparison method in the appraisal course material.