Once you qualify with a lender and submit the COE, VA allows for owner occupants of 1-4 units as long as you meet de t to income ratios.

REALTOR just means you're a licensed agent/broker and pay your yearly dues to NAR.  

I still have family there but not in Det anymore ..they have long moved north to the middle of the state ..

@Jason D. looks like youve got it handled. i work for a large appraisal firm and we always ask our clients for a list of improvements and a rough estimate on how much theyve spent. we scan this document directly into the report. some of my appraisers find it annoying when comps are provided (like going to the doctors and saying this is info i found off webmd) but most dont mind as long as theyre within criteria (distance, time, gla, etc.). make sure all your safety items are in check (smoke det, leaks, etc)

I think about $450 for the course, I prefer live courses for the learning and interaction, $100 or so for the state tests, $900/year or so for NAR/MLS. 

But you'd be dead wrong on both counts, according to figures released by the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

There is actually now a section in the NAR contract (contracts that many agents use) for you to fill in how many days after contract acceptance you would like to submit Earnest funds. 

According to the NAR the markets with the most pend up demand, i.e. waiting for interest rates to decrease so they can uncoil like a tensioned spring are:…Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TXDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXDayton-Kettering, OHDurham-Chapel Hill, NCHarrisburg-Carlisle, PAHouston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TXNashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TNPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDPortland-South Portland, MEWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVWhy?

That only comes with the MLS/NAR membership. 

The NAR caught wind of it and changed some of their internal rules for agents to also squash it.