Can You Use Government Grants to Become A Real Estate Entrepreneur?

Grants are not Benefits or Entitlements. A Federal Grant is an award of financial assistance from a Federal agency to a recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of the United States. Grants are not Federal assistance or loans to individuals.

Since 2002, the federal government has been developing and implementing Grants.gov as a collaborative cross-government program focused on streamlining grants management for the Federal grant community.

Can You Real Estate Apprentice Grant your way to being a Real Estate Entrepreneur?


The real Estate apprenticeship grant is one of the few grants that actually offer financial assistance for people who seek profit. Usually, government awarded grants are provided only for non-profit individuals or institutions.


The program aims to improve the US real estate industry by providing education and training to people interested in pursuing real estate as a career. It awards grants every six months totaling to $1,000,000.


By assisting new real estate agents the grant aims to help these novices increase their sales by giving them guidance and training, as well as the stat-up cost, all to improve the real estate industry as well as to improve the individual.


What can this grant do for me?


Based on each type of grant each finalist awarded the grant receives an estimate of $7000 in the form of:


1. Compensation of your licensing fee as well as the provision to attend any class offered by RealtyU School for once year.


2. Unlimited online access to a real estate mentoring service as well as counseling calls from your mentor.


3. Software named Transaction Manager that can be automated to store data from every transaction for every deal you make. It automatically calculates and stores due-dates and is very good for easy data access and storage.


4. A free consultation from McLean International Consulting at your own office. They will give you advice on business system technology.


5. A marketing package which includes the designing of your own stationary, business cards, envelopes and letterheads, a custom brochure, printing and design of PowerKards as well as your very own web site.


6. A detailed demographic information system about neighborhoods in the country.


7. 20-30 real estate books.


8. The real estate Success Kit with a mortgage calculator and a Laser Dimension Master.


9. Free printing from Express Copy


10. A one-year subscription to visual tours to help you create visuals for online listings as well as train you for neighborhood tours.


11. You become a member of the Real Estate Cyberspace Society


************************************


Did you know?


Applying at Grants.gov can reduce your costs and the time required to find government grant opportunities and process your application. The site provides access to multiple grantors and reduces paperwork.



By downloading a grant application package, you can view it offline, giving you the flexibility to complete the application when and where you want.


************************************

12. A subscription to the online magazine Broker Agent News and the print magazine, National Real Estate.


Who are eligible for the grant?


U.S. or Canadian nationals are allowed to take part in the grant provided that they have already taken a pre-licensing course at an accredited Real Estate School. The school should be state or nationally accredited and the participant must have taken the class during the six-month grant application season. If however the applicant has already passed his/her licensing examination, he is eligible for the grant if he has passed for a license within the same six months of grant awarding season. How do I apply?


Go to their website, http://www.realestateapprentice.com/apply.cfm and register as one of the applicants. The application form is electronic and you will be asked to enter personal information. However, you are only allowed 500 characters per question so answer it carefully and briefly.


What Criteria is used for this grant?


The questions on your application form aim to assess your communication skills, integrity, creativity, entrepreneurial spirit and uniqueness. Therefore your application form should contain as much of the talented you as it can.


The organizers who give it an initial grade, and then a panel of judges who are veterans first view the questions or otherwise well known in the industry are asked to judge each application form. These may range from industry leaders to sponsors of the grant.


15 judges one of them, the chairman of the panel, is appointed by the foundation. The chairman will then act as the coordinator for all judges as well as the judging process. The foundation only chooses the best and most experienced leaders in the industry and you are ensured that these people will be impartial.


Other things you should know.


* Always be ready with your proof of eligibility as the panel may request it.


* Finalists who are selected must be interviewed by the judges so prepare to look your best.


* It’s ok that you work for a real estate brokerage, but you may not work for a financial institution, insurance company or a title company on a full-time basis.


* The award isn’t tax-free


* If you do receive the grant, you will be required to show proof that you are indeed a licensed real estate agent.


· Once a finalist, you will be required to remain active as an agent.

Michael Saunders has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He edits a site on Government Grants for Women Owned Businesses and also edits HandsNet - A Human Services News Website.