Another thing to keep in mind a Realtor is bound by the Code of Ethics but someone who holds just a Real Estate license and is not part of the NAR, state, and local boards is NOT bound by the code of ethics.

NAR advises it's members not to give opinions on neighborhoods as to whether they are nice or bad, low crime or high crime, quality of the schools, demographics of the neighborhood.

If you replace "cousin" with "investor" and "partner" with "another licensed agent," it sounds like you wouldn't have an issue with this transaction.And from the perspective of most real estate professionals (NAR, lenders, brokers, etc), the relationships here are inconsequential...as they all constitute arms-length transactions.Just my $.02...I could certainly be wrong...

On Kent Island 250K will currently get you a house that is quite literally falling down, or a trailer with a 2-car det gar.

Here's a few basic questions that will really determine if I need to get licensed :My understanding is you must be a licensed realtor and a member of NAR to subscribe to the MLS ?

Getting your license and not affiliating as a realtor with NAR, in most markets will cost about $300-500 for the course (usually 2 weeks), $200 for the exam and background check and fingerprinting, and $100-1200/year with a real estate brokerage in fees to hang your license.

Commercial agents refuse to use the residential MLS' (I'm sure partially because it would require them to join NAR) and have their own services such as COSTAR which mainly handles this region I believe (I think there are three or so major ones across the country). 

I tried calling multiple agencies (NAR, local MLSs state agencies), they all just pawned me off to another department, nobody had an answer. 

The National Association of Realtors is requesting the FHA to more heavily scrutinize the loans they issue in order to protect communities from absentee landlords and to push for more involvement of other local area entities in the decision of who to issue loans to.Check out some of the language below in the NAR's request. 

If listed, you are just urinating into the breeze...the listing agent Has to use the local NAR approved forms.