I'd love to have a conversation to see if it would be a good fit!

We don't want to bring on every owner or every property unless they fit within our target market, so, I do the far majority of the sales - this is our check and balance.

You can find something in Durham and parts of Raleigh, specifically zips 27610, 27603, and parts of 27604 that would meet your criteria, however generally speaking most of the inventory that would fit what you are looking for in Raleigh or Durham would likely be in neighborhoods that I personally wouldn't want to invest in, C- to D type neighborhoods.

Once this is determined you can select the best neighborhood and asset that fits your capabilities. 

I just completed my 20 hour course for my Illinois Mortgage Lending License and the final step is taking the state exam.

Of course.  

The courses I took during that period in real estate were some of the best and most informative courses I took during my entire college career.

BUT, if one could solve some tough problems….Look, I hear what posters are saying - and it might NOT be a fit for real estate.  

Also, coming from running a business just think of RE as a business (which it is), the numbers have to work and your investments need to fit into the big picture.

I would have answer to the questions then with those answer, I would ask, can you find a better deal (equity, cash flow, appreciation potential etc.) that better fits your portfolio and is it worth the extra time?