So after completing all the required BROKER'S classes (a few blogs of their own if I ever get the time for it), and prerequisites, I scheduled my Broker's exam with PSI (Connecticut's testing center.)  I signed up over the phone to schedule my exam which was an event in and of its own.  I scheduled the exam for the following day and figured it would be best to do it quick and not prolong the agony.  My friends and family thought I was insane for doing it on short notice.

I battled rush hour traffic to West Hartford and had a little difficulty finding the place in the center of town.  Psi is on the second floor of a building that is setback from the road and not labeled.  It just added to the nervousness driving back and forth trying to find it.  Now TomTom got me close, and every time I drove by it I was greeted with a "you have reached your destination".  Once I get there (8:30 am) of course there are no parking spots.  I rush back out the street, find a spot on the road, and round up some quarters for the meter. 

Back over to PSI and up to the second floor.  I find the small test center on the second floor.  It could easily pass for a broom closet!  Once inside, I show my two forms of ID, get my photo taken, sign in, and now the pre test nervousness and nausea set in.   I find my assigned pc in the corner, and take a seat.  The screens are the old fashioned crt computer monitors, about 15" diagonal.  The text on the screen is about a 10 font and the fluorescent lights in the room are making one heck of a glare. 

About now I am in need of a caffeine fix since I couldn't stomach my coffee this morning and I left it in my truck.  No beverages are permitted inside so I guess we will have to wait the three hours for the exam.

Before you can begin the actual exam, PSI has a tutorial on how to use the computer, the keyboard and the test taking procedure in general.  After clicking through the 10 sample questions. It asks you..."Are you sure you are ready to begin?"  As much as I wanted to click the "no, I am nervous about where I parked, I need a coffee, I wonder if I put enough quarters in the meter, I need some Pebto Bismol, and I could use a quick review on Fiduciary responsibility in Connecticut", I decided to proceed anyway. 

The first part was 40 multiple choice on Ct specific laws.  I swear I have no idea where some of these questions came from.  2-3 questions in I almost thought I was taking the wrong test.  I did my best to eliminate the obvious wrong answers, and make an educated guess.  As I progressed I felt the timer in the upper right corner ticking down.  I was allowed 60 minutes for this portion.  I look up after what seems like an eternity.  12 minutes had passed!  I am more than half way through so I begin checking and double checking my work.  Now I am wondering if I am changing right answers to wrong, or wrong answers to right....  After completing the 40^thquestion, there are still 30 minutes left on the clock, so I run through them again just to be sure I didn't misread a question.  I am happy with my work, and now my nerves settle a little.  I was confident I did well.  I figured worst case scenario, I passed the Connecticut portion, I could always just retake the next section if I didn't do as well.  Upon clicking "end" for the Connecticut section, You are presented with a "Do you really want to do this" Popup  "if you are positive you want to end this portion of the exam, please type YES and hit enter."  Now they have me thinking, do they know something I don't?  Should I not hit enter?  Again, I checked and doubled check so I type YES.

Next pops up the first question on the General Brokers exam.  There are 80 questions, and I have 120 more minutes.  I feel very prepared for this section do to the fact that I was a math major in college and love numbers.  I was wishing the entire exam was commission calculation or down payment questions.  Well the computer must have been reading my mind because I did not get a single solitary math question until I was up around question 55 or so!  As nervous as I still was, I was managing. 

I knew this information, I had learned it back at my principle and practices course, my broker's course, real life experience and I had also been cramming for a week, and the answers came to me like second nature. 

There are a few great study guides out there I found on Amazon. 

One was for Connecticut licensing, and the other was a generic "Pass your Real Estate Brokers exam".  Now as confident as I was that I was doing well, this is a nerve racking day.  My 5 year old knew something was up all week because last night instead of playing a game with him I asked if he would Please let daddy study, just this night.  I promised to make it up to him.  He asked why I was reading so much and I explained I had a Very Very important exam.  "What is a Exam" he asked. I then of course had to explain an exam is like a game of me versus them....If I win I pass, if they win I fail.   Well I just pictured him looking up to me and asking how I did, and not being able to deliver any good news.  And of course when he heard he would be very sad, which would mean my 2 year old daughter who does EVERYTHING her brother does, would also be sad.  Then I think about telling my wife, and my friends, co-workers, etc.... Ughhh.  What have I gotten myself into?

Maybe I should have taken the exam and not let anyone know.  That would have been a better idea. 

SO anyway, back to the exam... I get through question 80, I look up 70 minutes left. "What? 70 MINUTES LEFT?"  Did I skip some I wonder?, I go back through each question,1 by one.  I answered them all and was pretty satisfied with my answers nonetheless.  I again hit the "End Exam" button.  I am presented with the "type YES" instructions.  Now my heart is in my throat, My heart is literally beating like I ran a marathon....

Y E S I type.....

Up on the screen pops a survey.  "A survey?"I say to myself.  I just got done with this crazy exam, hit "submit" and "show me my grade" and I have to take a survey?

It was 10 questions about the test, testing center, location, yada yada yada

"Good, good, good, good, good," I speed click through them all.

"Processing your score" the screen says...

Connecticut Brokers section "PASS"

Residential Real Estate section "PASS"

Woooooohoooooooooooooooo. It says "please proceed quietly out of the exam room and see the attendant"  Now as bad as I wanted to do some kind of victory dance, I proceeded out.  The guy at the desk says "Holy cow, you flew through it, and ROCKED it"

I do not remember anything else he said, I don't remember going down the stairs, or walking to my truck.  I immediately call my wife and we collectively celebrate on the phone.  She was on her way to pickup our son at kindergarten.  I called her back 15 minutes later so I could tell him.  He was sooooo happy I couldn't understand him.  What a great feeling!

I cannot begin to express how excited or happy I am.  I went straight home and celebrated by enjoying the Perfect Fall Connecticut day with my family! Broker Jones, I like the sound of that.

Prospect Congregational Church Carnival. 

This is the one that replaced the Annual Fireman's Carnival that Prospect use to have.

This was a great time last year.  Anyone in the area should try to attend.

This is a three month comparison on closed sales for the following towns here in Connecticut that we at Smedes are very active in.

Prospect, Cheshire, Wolcott, Waterbury, Naugatuck, Bethany & Beacon Falls.

You can see a steady decrease in all the numbers.  It makes sense with winter coming that people are buying smaller homes to heat. 

Now we can compare the above numbers from this year, to the below numbers from 2007. You can see the Average sold price in Aug. 2007 was $261,696.  The average sold price for Aug. 2008 was just $221,994.  That is a drop of nearly 17%!

Hopefully winter heating prices will stabilize, and the market will rebound... Like they say, when you are at the bottom (which my own personal opinion is where we are almost to) there is only one way to go!