William Vasana Completes Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource Course for the Residential Specialist

Jacksonville, FL, October 14, 2009 --(PR.com)-- William Vasana of Watson Realty Corp. has completed a highly specialized course in Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource (SFR) conducted by the Council of Residential Specialists of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.

The Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource program recognizes the accomplishments of real estate professionals engaging in short sales, foreclosures and bank-owned real estate transactions. The program includes training on the management of distressed properties, and provides resources to help Realtors stay current on national and state-specific information. Currently, it is the only short sale and foreclosure certification recognized by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.

This course is one in a series of professional education sequences required to qualify for the coveted Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) designation. Developed and taught by senior instructors Frank Serio, CRS, and Leroy Houser, CRS, Short Sales and Foreclosures explains the intricacies of the intricacies of the short sale and foreclosure processes, as well as the roles of lenders, sellers, buyers, and cooperating agents involved. The course also includes dialogues and systems agents can use when they work with financial institutions and other owners of REO properties.

“We created this course to meet the growing need in the community to educate agents about foreclosures and short sales,” Serio says. “It provides agents with a step-by-step process for counseling clients and gives them the tools and skills they need to adapt to a changing market.”

Foreclosures and short sales accounted for 36 percent of all existing home transactions during the second quarter of 2009, according to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. With so much activity in the marketplace, real estate professionals have an opportunity to assist buyers and sellers through these often tricky transactions.

“In the current real estate market, it is important that Realtors are able to meet the needs of homebuyers and sellers of distressed properties,” said Vasana. “Knowing how to maneuver the complexities of short sales as well as how to identify the distinct real estate opportunities in foreclosure are not merely good skills to have in today’s market—they are critical.”

Vasana says, “This course helps us evaluate all available options for distressed homeowners and allows us to give competent advice and counsel to homeowners who are in danger of losing their home through foreclosure. And as a practical resource, this course looks at how real estate professionals counsel prospective buyers in the purchase of foreclosure properties and negotiate successfully with financial institutions and other owners of REO properties.”

“Foreclosure is one of the most devastating financial challenges that a family can face and one that many times can be avoided,” said Vasana. “Understanding your options could mean all the difference in the world.”

The Council of Residential Specialists courses are presented throughout the U.S. in affiliation with the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, as part of its on-going program of promoting the professionalism of the residential sales associate. The Council of Residential Specialists is a not-for-profit affiliate of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS ® comprised of more than 40,000 members. It awards the CRS Designation to experienced Realtors® who have completed advanced professional training and demonstrated outstanding professional achievement in residential real estate.

###