Your House Academy offers a complete real estate education curriculum including Illinois real estate broker pre and post-license courses, managing broker pre-license courses, leasing agent pre-license course and continuing education courses: plus a complete array of study guides and testing materials.

Through our Innovative Flexible Learning program, a student seeking an Illinois real estate license can complete the required 75-hour course in a home-study format enhanced by workshop lectures. We have several workshop locations throughout Chicago's north and western suburbs.  The remaining 15-hour pre-license course is offered in the mandatory classroom setting.

As an Illinois Real Estate school, we want to offer more than just real estate license courses, so we've prepared a series of articles on preparing for the Illinois real estate license exam as well as information on a career in real estate.  You'll find them and more on our Resources page.

If you have questions or need advice, please contact Vince DePaul, Director ... 

Your House Academy
181 S. Bloomingdale Rd., Suite 204
Bloomingdale, IL  60108

630-307-3493 or by Email

Vince DePaul,
Director, Real Estate Instructor

Vince DePaul is Director of the Your House Academy.  Vince began his real estate career in 1976 and is a real estate broker and a licensed real estate and continuing education instructor.  He has taught real estate at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois and Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, Illinois for several decades.  For ten years he produced and hosted a weekly, live call-in radio broadcast in Chicago called “Your House” where he was known as “Mr. Real Estate”.  [More about Vince]

Mike Fair,
Director, Real Estate Instructor

Mike Fair is the Director and President of the recently merged Illinois Academy of Real Estate and Your House Academy.  Mike has developed and instructed real estate courses since 1984 and has helped thousands of students pass their real estate exams.

Mike joined the real estate business in 1974 and his experience includes: new home construction, real estate sales, property management, real estate office management, financing, and education.  Mike has served as content advisor for Dearborn Financial Publishing, Hondros College and Applied Measurement Professionals (AMP), Illinois’ exam provider.

He is a member of the National Association of Realtors®, the Illinois Association of Realtors®, the Real Estate Educator’s Association, and the Illinois Association of Real Estate Educators.

Mike is happily married his wife Laurie and has five adult children and five grandchildren.  His students enjoy and appreciate Mike’s intelligent, gentle, no nonsense approach to teaching.

Terri Anzelmo,
Assistant Director and Registrar

Terri Anzelmo is the Assistant Director and Registrar at Your House Academy and has worked in the school headquarters since 2002.  Students and instructors alike appreciate her gracious, helpful and friendly personality.  Much of the school's success can be attributed to Terri's personal attention whether it's helping students with the registration process, proctoring exams, helping to equip the instructors, managing our staff or assisting Vince with his responsibilities.  Nothing delights her more than helping our students pass the state exam.

Anette Akey,
Real Estate Instructor

Annette Akey is veteran real estate instructor and has been a Realtor® since 1990.  Aside from working with buyers and sellers, Annette's experience includes property management and leasing and she owned and managed her own firm for 4 years.  She's actively involved with the Mainstreet Organization of Realtors Government Affairs Committee and serves as a member of the Education Working Group at the Illinois Association of Realtors (IAR).  Annette holds many professional designations including Certified Negotiation Consultant (CNC), Graduate of the Realtors® Institute (GRI), Short Sale Foreclosure Resource Specialist (SFR), and Certified Default Resolution Specialist (CDRS).  Her background and communication skills have made Annette an outstanding instructor.

Paula Calzolari,
Real Estate Instructor

Paula Calzolari is a Real Estate Broker and has been a workshop leader with Your House Academy since 2001.  Paula skillfully uses her experiences in real estate sales, new construction sales, mortgage origination, and as a landlord/property owner to share memorable and comedic stories with her students.  Paula creates a casual and fun atmosphere in her pre-license workshops.  In fact, when Paula is not selling homes or teaching, she can be found performing limited engagements at Second City in Chicago.

Jill Insco,
Real Estate Instructor

Jill Insco earned her Business Administration Degree from National Louis University and began her real estate career in 1975.  She has enjoyed an outstanding professional career as a Realtor and an successful Managing Broker.  Jill is a licensed instructor and has been teaching pre-license and broker classes since 1997.  Students continually rate her overall performance a "10" and appreciate her ability to "stay on track."  Her reviews are excellent and to her credit ... "Her students pass the state exam!"

Lori Linkimer,
Workshop Leader

Lori Linkimer is the managing broker of the Prudential Starck Realtors St. Charles office.  She has been recognized as a top sales producer, and an accomplished sales trainer.  Prior to starting her real estate career in 2000, Lori earned a Master of Education degree from Roosevelt University and has 24 years of classroom teaching experience.  Lori prides herself at consistently staying abreast of new information in the real estate field with continuing education classes and training seminars.

Jennifer Mark,
Workshop Leader

Bio Coming Soon

Bill O'Donnell,
Real Estate Instructor

Bill O’Donnell is one of our most experienced instructors with over 16 years in real estate sales and 10 years as a managing broker.  Bill is a Graduate of the Realtor® Institute (GRI) and has served on the Board of Directors of the National, State and Local Realtor® Associations.  Bill also served on the Board of Directors of the Multiple Listing Service of Northern Illinois (MLSNI).  Bill teaches both broker and pre-license courses and enjoys one of the highest first time state exam passing rates in the state.

Tammy Storrie,
Workshop Leader

Tammy Storrie has been an outstanding Realtor since starting her career 30 years ago and she's proud to be with the same company all that time.  Tammy is fluent in several Eastern European languages and is active in the Ukrainian community.  Since starting teaching for YHA in 2004, Tammy has helped dozens of student pass the state exam and begin successful real estate careers.

Clayton Waite,
Real Estate Instructor

Clayton Waite began his award winning real estate career in 1987 and has loved it ever since.  He served as a Marine Corp Sergeant and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Education, English and Public Speaking.  Clayton taught as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, high school teacher and a County Public School Speech Therapist for several years.  As a licensed real estate instructor since 2000, his students continually remark about his teaching skills, sense of humor and his ability to make a tough subject easy to understand.

Carol Weinert,
Workshop Leader

Carol Weinert is a wonderful example of a successful, accomplished Realtor.  She started her real estate career in 1969 and holds a number of professional designations including GRI-Graduate of Realtors Institute, CRS-Certified Residential Specialist, CRB-Certified Real Estate Broker Manager and RNMI-Member of the Realtors National Marketing Institute.  She served as President of the Fox Valley Board of Realtors and is a Life Member of the Million Dollar Club.  As a real estate educator, Carol's students appreciate her experience and extraordinary communication skills.