Examine your investment  philosophy and whether there is an underlying reason why the wrong kind of money may be attracted.  

Alternatively, those wishing to register must pass an examination which assesses the candidate's aptitude and professional skill relating to the specialized area of agency within which they wish to work.

Have you examined your criteria? 

Just going through SEC regulations and mortgage brokerage laws isn't nearly enough to see the big picture.Yes, "private lender" is a marketing ploy, the same lender can be a private lender and if they don't pass the private dealings test they are a HML or better yet, a commercial lender, a lender who is in the business of lending.Just an FYI, I've never seen any lender that does business be 100% in compliance, there is always some little gig on examinations, so for lenders to be talking about compliance without their having regulatory examination experience their opinions will be rather limited, that grain of salt saying

However, until you really pull all docs and examine, you won't be able to puts the pieces together.

I would really first like some tips on examining my market and the best practices for connecting with other real estate investors, lenders, and banks.

The main costs to examine are the lender costs (usually line 801-805).  

Regardless, depending on the police departments sophistication, they will examine everything inch of the unit before release it back to you/tenant.

So it is a must for someone to pay the license fee once the examination is over and passed?

Even though my attorney helped me tweak some unfavorable language and clarify some sections, neither mentioned this clause which has saved me on two different deal.INSPECTION PERIOD: The Buyer shall have thirty (30) days from the date of execution of formal contract to perform inspections and examine the records of the Property.