FLORIDA REAL ESTATE LAWS, PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES, 2ND EDITION eBook

Most Florida students struggle with the state exam not because they lack motivation, but because the exam is detail‑heavy, law‑focused, and different from what they do in everyday life.

Use this engaging, text‑based eBook as a complete study companion to the OnLine Training 63‑hour Florida Real Estate Sales Associate Pre‑Licensing Course.  Organized unit‑by‑unit to mirror your online course, it walks you from the basics of the real estate business through license law, agency relationships, contracts, finance, calculations, and exam‑level practice with clear explanations and everyday examples. Each unit begins with learning objectives and key terms so you know exactly what the exam expects, followed by short lessons that break down complex topics like FREC rules, brokerage procedures, fair housing, landlord‑tenant law, environmental issues, and taxation into plain language you can actually remember on test day.

To tackle Florida’s low pass rates, this eBook is deliberately built for repeat review and mastery, not just reading once.  “Unit Important Points” and “Unit Summary” sections highlight the rules, definitions, and math formulas most likely to be tested, helping you zero in on high‑value exam content instead of getting lost in the details. Property rights, estates and tenancies, condos and HOAs, title and deeds, legal descriptions, mortgages, financing programs (FHA, VA, conventional), real estate computations, appraisal, investments, zoning, and environmental hazards are all presented step‑by‑step so you can convert tricky exam questions into familiar patterns. Paired with OLT’s DBPR‑approved, fully online course,  this book gives Florida sales associate candidates a structured, confidence‑building path from first log‑in to a passing score on the state exam.

Table of contents

1. Unit 1: Course overview: the real estate business
   • Learning objectives
   • Key terms
   • Introduction
   • Lesson 1: Introduction to the real estate business
   • Lesson 2: Real estate brokerage
   • Lesson 3: Development and construction
   • Lesson 4: The role of government
   • Lesson 5: Professional organizations
   • Unit summary
   • Unit important points to know
2. Unit 2: Real estate license law and qualifications for licensure
   • Learning objectives
   • Key terms
   • Introduction
   • Lesson 1: History and purposes of real estate license laws
   • Lesson 2: License types and qualifications
   • Lesson 3: Maintaining your license
   • Unit summary
   • Unit important points to know
3. Unit 3: Real estate license law and commission rules
   • Learning objectives
   • Key terms
   • Introduction
   • Lesson 1: Regulation by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR)
   • Lesson 2: The Florida Real Estate Commission; rules governing internal organization and operation
   • Unit summary
   • Unit important points to know
4. Unit 4: Authorized relationships, duties, and disclosure
   • Learning objectives
   • Key terms
   • Introduction
   • Lesson 1: Concept of agency
   • Lesson 2: Authorized brokerage relationships
   • Lesson 3: Consent to transition from single agent to transaction broker
   • Lesson 4: Recordkeeping and retention
   • Unit summary
   • Unit important points to know
5. Unit 5: Real estate brokerage activities and procedures
   • Learning objectives
   • Key terms
   • Introduction
   • Lesson 1: Brokerage offices
   • Lesson 2: Guidelines for advertising
   • Lesson 3: Escrow (trust) accounts
   • Lesson 4: Broker’s commission
   • Lesson 5: Types of business entities
   • Unit summary
   • Unit important points
6. Unit 6: Violations of license law, penalties, and procedures
   • Learning objectives
   • Key terms
   • Introduction
   • Lesson 1: Disciplinary procedure
   • Lesson 2: Violations and penalties
   • Lesson 3: Real Estate Recovery Fund
   • Unit summary
   • Unit important points
7. Unit 7: Federal and state laws pertaining to real estate
   • Learning objectives
   • Key terms
   • Introduction
   • Lesson 1: Federal laws
   • Lesson 2: Florida Residential Landlord and Tenant Act
   • Unit summary
   • Unit important points
8. Unit 8: Property rights: estates and tenancies; condominiums, cooperatives, community development districts, homeowner associations, and time-sharing
   • Learning objectives
   • Key terms
   • Introduction
   • Lesson 1: Land, real estate, and real property
   • Lesson 2: Real versus personal property
   • Lesson 3: Freehold and leasehold estates
   • Lesson 4: Cooperatives, condominiums, and time-sharing
   • Unit summary
   • Unit important points
9. Unit 9: Title, deeds, and ownership restrictions
   • Learning objectives
   • Key terms
   • Introduction
   • Lesson 1: Concept of title
   • Lesson 2: Notice to legal title
   • Lesson 3: Deeds
   • Lesson 4: Ownership limitations and restrictions
   • Unit summary
   • Unit important points
10. Unit 10: Legal descriptions
    • Learning objectives
    • Key terms
    • Introduction
    • Lesson 1
    • Lesson 2
11. Unit 11: Contracts
    • Learning objectives
    • Key terms
    • Introduction
    • Lesson 1: Contracts in general
    • Lesson 2: Essential elements of a valid contract
    • Lesson 3: Classification of contracts
    • Lesson 4: Contract negotiation and termination
    • Lesson 5: Contracts important to real estate
    • Unit summary
    • Unit important points
12. Unit 12: Residential mortgages
    • Learning objectives
    • Key terms
    • Introduction
    • Lesson 1: Mortgage concepts
    • Lesson 2: Essential elements of the mortgage
    • Lesson 3: Common mortgage features
    • Lesson 4: Methods of purchasing mortgaged property encumbered by an existing mortgage loan
    • Lesson 5: Default
    • Unit summary
    • Unit important points
13. Unit 13: Types of mortgages and sources of financing
    • Learning objectives
    • Key terms
    • Introduction
    • Lesson 1: Qualifying for a loan
    • Lesson 2: Conventional mortgages
    • Lesson 3: Common types of mortgages
    • Lesson 4: Government-insured FHA program
    • Lesson 5: VA loan guarantee program
    • Lesson 6: Primary sources of home financing
    • Lesson 7: Secondary mortgage market
    • Lesson 8: Laws regarding fair credit and lending procedures
    • Unit summary
    • Unit important points
14. Unit 14: Real estate related computations and closing of transactions
    • Learning objectives
    • Key terms
    • Introduction
    • Lesson 1: Basic real estate computations
    • Lesson 2: Preliminary steps to a closing
    • Lesson 3: Prorated expenses
    • Lesson 4: Key concepts regarding closing disclosure
    • Unit summary
    • Unit important points
15. Unit 15: The real estate markets and analysis
    • Learning objectives
    • Key terms
    • Introduction
    • Lesson 1: Physical characteristics of real estate
    • Lesson 2: Economic characteristics of real estate
    • Unit summary
    • Unit important points
16. Unit 16: Real estate appraisal
    • Learning objectives
    • Key terms
    • Introduction
    • Lesson 1: Regulation of appraising – FIRREA
    • Lesson 2: Concept of value
    • Lesson 3: Principles of value
    • Lesson 4: Introduction to the three approaches to value
    • Lesson 5: Preparing a comparative market analysis (CMA)
    • Unit summary
    • Unit important points
17. Unit 17: Real estate investments and business opportunity brokerage
    • Learning objectives
    • Key terms
    • Introduction
    • Lesson 1: Investment real estate terminology
    • Lesson 2: Advantages of real estate investments
    • Lesson 3: Disadvantages of investing in real estate
    • Lesson 4: Assessment of risk
    • Lesson 5: Nature of business brokerage
    • Unit summary
    • Unit important points
18. Unit 18: Taxes affecting real estate
    • Learning objectives
    • Key terms
    • Introduction
    • Lesson 1: Real property taxation
    • Lesson 2: Federal income taxes
    • Unit summary
    • Unit important points
19. Unit 19: Planning, zoning, and environmental hazards
    • Learning objectives
    • Key terms
    • Introduction
    • Lesson 1: Planning and zoning
    • Lesson 2: Florida's Growth Policy and Community Planning Act (CPA)
    • Lesson 3: Zoning, land use restrictions, and building codes
    • Lesson 4: Environmental requirements
    • Lesson 5: Indoor and outdoor environmental hazards
    • Unit summary
    • Unit important points