Safety First | Your Safety That Is | In Today's Society
Unfortunately, the days of Mayberry RFD and good ole Aunt Bea are long gone. In today's society and especially in the real estate industry, it is now more important than ever to protect yourself from those unforeseen circumstances we all hope we never have to encounter.
We have all seen the reports in recent years of Women Realtors showing a property, and then low and behold a twisted, sick individual who called up the agent and either made an appointment to see a house or showed up at an open house arrives for that appointment and before they could react, they are either assaulted or in several cases, murdered. There were a couple of instances of that here locally in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex in the last few years.
That is why it is now more important than ever to take the most extreme precautions when showing a property. A colleague of mine, Stacey Smith, a Realtor out of Southern California on the ActiveRain Real Estate Network wrote a great post recently about just such a topic.
However, all the precaution and safety measures in the world just might not be enough. That is why I am 
suggesting for you to check with your state concerning whether or not they have Concealed Handgun Licenses, most states now have laws on the books concerning the ability to legally carry a concealed handgun. I realize that this may be a touchy subject for some people. But, unfortunately in today's society, the criminal element just doesn't care about what you think on the matter and are going to do what they do.
So you might as well be as prepared as you can. Although I previously had a concealed handgun license here in Texas, I had let it expire a few years ago. If your CHL has expired within one year, then you can stil renew it, however if it has been one year and a day, then you must apply for an original license all over again.
That is why over the weekend when the opportunity presented itself for me to attend a Concealed Handgun License class for a group of my wife's coworkers at the 10th Air Force, I jumped on the opportunity to attend. Why not attend a CHL class with a group of people you know versus a bunch of strangers, I said to myself, and the military discount he gave us helped decide for me as well. Did you know that in Texas if you are active duty, guard or reserve in the military that you do not have to pay the $140.00 application fee to the State like everyone else, just the cost of the instructional class.
In order to obtain your Concealed Handgun License in Texas, before you turn in your application with the State, which you can do online, you have to first take a CHL or Concealed Handgun License Class by a State Certfied instructor, which includes both a shooting test and a written test. Both are very straight forward and most non shooters pass the Texas CHL proficiency shooting exam on their first attempt even if they have never fired a firearm before. Upon completion of you CHL class, you can then apply with the state and will also be required to get electonically fingerprinted, once your application is received. They will be doing a background check through the FBI as part of this process, so if you have been a bad boy or girl, don't apply.
I scored a 245 out of 250 on the shooting profficiency and missed 1 out of 50 on the written. I figured nothing could be as hard as the Texas Real Estate Broker Exam, so taking this test was like a spring break for me.
Brad Jordan with LegalCarry.US was our instructor. Brad is a TX-DPS Certified Instructor and a former Federal Law Enforcement Officer. It is a long day as there are 10 hours of total training required by the state, that include the shootig range time as well as classroom time. But Brad made the day enjoyable and entertaining at the same time. Brad can also arrange to do the classroom training at a location of your choosing if you have a large enough group. Cost for the CHL class is $90.00 but you may be able to get a group discount depending on how many people attend.
I spoke to him after the class and advised him that I would try to arrange a class for a group of REALTORS in the area in the near future. He emphasized the importance of why every REALTOR should become a CHL holder and even told us about a real life example of a real estate agent that was put in a dangerous situation just like the one I mentioned above.
If you would like more information about arranging a Concealed Handgun License class for your group or individually here locally, you can contact Brad on his website at www.LegalCarry.us. Or you can contact me and i will put you in touch with him. I highly reccommend Brad and his instruction. If you are not in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex, I encrourage you to look at options in your area and state.
John Hrisco & Associates: When experience counts, the sign you want, the agent you need. Licensed Texas Real Estate Broker #0480703, with over 13+ years experience buying & selling real estate in the D/FW Metroplex. Integrity, Professionalism, Results & Charity is our Mantra. It is how we go about our lives and our business. We undertake a specialized set of tasks and orchestrate them with uncommon skills. Whether you are buying, selling, or investing in real estate, if you are not doing business with John Hrisco & Associates, you are losing money.
servicing the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex: including Northeast Tarrant County, Ft. Worth, Keller, Southlake, Colleyville, Grapevine, Haslet, Trophy Club, Roanoke, Westlake, NRH & Surrounding areas
John Hrisco & Associates
RE/MAX Heritage
4200 Heritage Trace Pkwy., Ste. 100
Ft. Worth/Keller, TX 76248
