The Idyllwild Association of Realtors is offering an important opportunity to its new and long-time members and affiliates.

It began in March and continues through July. On the third Monday of the month, IAOR is sponsoring a series of training or educational presentations.

The six sessions will offer “knowledge about the community and the unique aspects of mountain living,” wrote Karen Doshier, an IAOR director.

The idea has been discussed for several years and now Doshier has organized the program. For those who attend all six sessions, or watch a video of them, they will earn a Mountain Specialist certificate. While the certificate might go on an office or den wall, the possessors of this certificate and its knowledge can add it to their business cards for prospective clients to know.

Both the state and national realtor associations have approved the program and its content, Doshier said. And it was incorporated into IAOR’s 2015-18 Strategic Plan.

“We’re so unique here; it’s so different than selling real estate in the lower areas,” Dosher said.

For example, Lee Arnson, the local surveyor, will discuss a multitude of surveying issues, such as lot-line adjustments, easement creation and abandonment, parcel mergers and more.

“When I sold in Hemet, I never thought about a survey,” she explained. “But it’s a common issue here. What if the neighbor built across the property line?”

As a former teacher and principal, Doshier is well acquainted with planning, organizing and leading this educational effort.

The first session was to be about the history of the three Hill communities — Idyllwild, Fern Valley and Pine Cove. Unfortunately, that discussion was postponed due to snow and will occur in July.

The actual first presentation was a panel discussion of water issues. The panelists were Jack Hoagland, Jerry Holldber and Victor Jimenez, general managers of the three local water districts. The IAOR conference room was filled and plenty of questions were asked of the managers. (See accompanying story.)

Other future topics include issues relating to septic systems and percolation tests. Doshier has gotten several county health officials to come and talk about this subject.

She also plans to have representatives of the county planning, and the building and safety offices come and discuss the permitting process, zoning and the application of other county codes to Hill properties.