Spring 2026 RE 62 - Advanced Real Estate Finance
Section 5701 - Course Syllabus

Course Description

In this course, students will focus on analyzing potential investment properties for buyers, sellers and lenders. Each stage of property analysis will be covered for properties ranging from single family rentals to large commercial. Real estate finance strategies will be applied to real-world situations with a focus on the practical application of these theories that matter the most to investors. This course applies toward the educational requirements for either a salesperson or broker's license. It also meets the California Department of Real Estate (DRE) education requirements for the Salesperson or Brokers license.

View the Official course outline, description, and catalog information.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. Outline and analyze primary, secondary, and additional investment elements and their effect on financing strategies.
2. Identify and understand the different methods of structuring financial instruments.
3. List and utilize real estate investment performance measurements and ratios.

Objectives:

1. Discuss why investors choose to invest in real estate, what risks they are exposed to, and how the return on a real estate investment is calculated.
2. Describe how the value of income-generating properties is determined.
3. Evaluate the impact debt financing has on a real estate investment's risk and return and how leverage can be used to increase investment returns.
4. Examine the factors impacting estate development decisions, including cap rates, regulatory requirements, and costs.
5. Discuss the financing options available to real estate investors.
6. Satisfy the California DRE elective education requirement for salespersons.
7. Satisfy the California DRE mandatory education requirement for brokers.

Topics and Scope

Textbook

Required Access to McGraw Hill Connect with Ebook included.  Hard copy is NOT required.

Real Estate Finance and Investments, McGraw Hill, William Brueggeman and Jeffery D. Fisher, 2024 Edition.

You NEED to order the McGraw Hill Connect with Ebook via the SRJC Bookstore. 

List of assignments

• 23 Connect SmartBook Assignments
• 23 Connect Assignments
• 23 Connect Assessments 
• 16 Canvas Discussion Boards
• Final Examination 

Course Schedule

Each week on Sunday at 11:59pm the weekly assignments are due. Please see course schedule with due dates below. Weekly announcements from the instructor will remind students of the weekly assignments and due date. 

Late Policy

All assignments are due 11:59 PM PST on the due date. Please notify the instructor if there are extenuating circumstances. 

SmartBook Assignments

There will be a SmartBook assignment for each chapter. The course textbook is an eBook in McGraw Connect. As you read, the system will track your reading and you will be asked to complete questions about the material to check your understanding. 

Connect Assignments

There will be a Connect assignment for each chapter. Each assignment is ten questions to review your understanding of the course materials. They will not be timed. 

Exams

There will be 23 assessments (quizzes) and a final exam in Connect. All are multiple choice. The quizzes will be 10-20 questions each and the final will be 100 questions. They will not be timed. 

Discussion Board

Each week will have 2 discussion board assignment in Canvas. All discussion board assignments must be completed by 11:59pm PST on the listed deadline. 

Please complete your discussion board responses in paragraph format, no bullet points. While syntax is important, I will be looking for your original voice and ideas. 

Please remember to use Netiquette:

• Be kind and respectful to others
• Use full sentences
• Avoid jargon and acronyms
• Use language that supports others

Class Participation

Participation is an extremely important part of learning and understanding real estate finance (especially in this environment). The classes that have the best learning environment are those where the students actively engage in the course. In other words, participation has been the key to success!

Being prepared and keeping up with the assigned coursework is vital in this class. Do not hesitate to contact me if you are having any problems understanding a concept, problem, or chapter topic. 

Instructor Contact

Madeline Wiest

Email: mwiest@santarosa.edu

Office Hours: Please send me an email to set up a time to talk via phone or zoom Monday thru Friday. 

I respond to emails within 24 hours.

Class Meetings

All material and activities be offered asynchronously, meaning you can access them anytime.

Course Web Site

Students will use the Canvas course website.

Required Software

You may need some of the following programs in order to view selected material in this course. If you find that you can't view a particular file or graphic, that may be the case. Otherwise, you should be OK.

Additionally, use the Help feature, see the link on the left hand margin, should you have any issues with Canvas. You will find the information there very helpful, and, you can even call them for help!

• • Adobe Reader
  • QuickTime Player
  • Flash Player
  • Open Office

Important Dates

Day Class Begins	Monday, March 23, 2026
Day Class Ends	Friday, May 15, 2026
Last Day to Add	Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Last Day to Drop and be eligible for enrollment/course fee refund	Saturday, March 28, 2026
Last Day to Drop without a 'W' symbol	Friday, April 3, 2026
Last Day to Drop with a 'W' symbol	Friday, May 1, 2026

Link to Section Dates

Dropping the Class

If you decide to discontinue this course, it is your responsibility to officially drop it. A student may be dropped from any class when that student's absences exceed ten percent (10%) of the total hours of class time. It is strongly advised that if you need to miss more than one class/homework deadline in a row that you contact the instructor to avoid being dropped from the class.

Attendance

This is an online course, students who fail to log on and initiate participation by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time of the first day of the class may be dropped by the instructor.

Instructor Announcements

The instructor will post announcements on the “Instructor Announcements” page in Canvas throughout the semester. Canvas notifies students according to their preferred Notification Preferences.

Grading Policy

McGraw Connect assignments/assessments/final and Canvas discussion boards, availability and due dates can be located by clicking "Grades" link on the left hand margin. Click the “Grades” link in Canvas to keep track of your grades. I review grades once a week and post grades and comments in the Canvas grade book.

Grading for this course will reflect the students' results in the areas of McGraw Connect assignments, discussion board responses, quizzes, and the final exam.

Grading Breakdown:

SmartBook Assignments 10%

Connect Assignments 10%

Connect Assessments 20%

Discussion Board Responses 20%

Final Examination 40%
______________________________
Final Grade 100%

Grading will be assigned: 

Name:	Range:
A	100 %	to 90.0%
B	< 90.0 %	to 80.0%
C	< 80.0 %	to 70.0%
D	< 70.0 %	to 60.0%
F	< 60.0 %	to 0.0%

Standards of Conduct

Students who register in SRJC classes are required to abide by the SRJC Student Conduct Standards. Violation of the Standards is basis for referral to the Vice President of Student Services or dismissal from class or from the College. See the Student Code of Conduct.

Collaborating on -- or copying of -- tests or homework in whole or in part will be considered an act of academic dishonesty and result in a grade of 0 for that test or assignment and possible expulsion. Students are encouraged to share information and ideas, but never share their work. 

Artificial Intelligence text generators (ChatGPT, Jasper, Bing, etc.) are not acceptable replacements for authorship in this academic setting. The college environment is an excellent training ground for developing your own original thoughts, content generation, and critical thinking skills. While we'll certainly cover how marketing and business professionals successfully integrate AI into their workflow, using AI to complete your SRJC class assignments is entirely unacceptable. Submitting AI-generated content as your own work is considered plagiarism and will result in a grade of 0 for that assignment. SRJC's statement on Academic Integrity

Special Needs

Every effort is made to conform to accessibility standards for all instructor-created materials. Students should contact their instructor as soon as possible if they find that they cannot access any course materials. Students with disabilities who believe they need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Disability Resources (527-4278).