@Charles Moore First and foremost welcome to BP!!
Without a doubt, as you have discovered, you are in the right place for real estate investing and kicking off a career on the right foot. As an investor who has been actively working in the real estate investing arena for a couple of years now, having a license is simply one more tool in your belt.
After a couple of years in real estate investing, I just completed the pre-licensing course and the state exam in November. Throughout the process the most obvious take away was that as a licensed broker you will be held to a higher standard, and must provide full disclosure that you are licensed. Personally, I strive to be as transparent as possible in all my deals, so that there is no mystery or confusion about the deal, so with that the disclosure piece has been a natural part of the process.
As for pitfalls, you are now held to a higher standard and are expected to know the laws and regulations related to real estate transactions.
Bottom line, you could do real estate investing your entire life and never get a license. For me personally, considering myself a professional, I want to learn as much as possible about my profession and have as many tools at my disposal as possible. As such getting my license was an easy decision.
If there is anything I can do to help you through the process please let me know.
