License renewal involves two steps. First, complete 14 hours of elective and required continuing education. Second visit the PA Licensing System (PALS) site to verify or update your information and pay the fee to renew. Both steps must be completed on or before May 31, 2018. With just one week left to renew, the system may be overwhelmed by the volume of licensees who have not yet tried to renew. If your credits are complete and you have not visited PALS to renew, do it now! Once you have completed the online process you will receive an email receipt for the payment. Hold onto that receipt as evidence at least until the system updates your expiration date. The update may take some time.

For answers to frequent online registration, login, and renewal questions click here and choose the appropriate category icon for your question. If your question is not addressed in the first list, click here to provide a detailed request. The detailed request link also allows you to upload documents or screenshots to aid in your detailed request. Please note that unfortunately, Suburban West is not available to provide technical support while you’re working on the new PALS system, as it is not our system.  

REALTORS across the state have reported challenges in the PALS site. The Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS, has been working to bring these challenges to the attention of the State Real Estate Commission and have them addressed. While many issues have been resolved the effort is ongoing. Suburban West will continue to contribute to PAR’s efforts as well. 

Still need continuing education by the May 31st deadline? Click here for a schedule of our remaining classroom classes or here for online classes.

Delaware County, which includes part of Philadelphia’s wealthy Main Line suburbs, and several other counties in PA are among 117 U.S. counties that are most “at risk” from financial pressure and high-income taxpayer rebellion — or flight — due to changes in U.S. tax policy, according to a new report from S&P Global Ratings.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act reduced federal tax rates, but also reduced tax deductions for people who pay a lot of state and local taxes. S&P, which rates debt for borrowers based on how likely analysts think they are to pay money back to investors and bondholders, reviewed IRS tax return data and the U.S. Census community survey to generate multiple lists, including: the top 10 percent of U.S. counties for the proportion of taxpayers who itemized their federal tax benefits; where peoples’ state and local tax deductions tended to be more than $10,000 a year, the new limit for the federal tax deduction; and where state and local tax rates are highest. By effectively increasing the state and local tax burden in those counties, “the tax act may dampen incentives to buy higher-priced homes, or at least decrease demand for houses where the combination of state and local taxes paid by a taxpayer” is more than $10,000 a year, S&P writes. Read more.