However, just one deal a year easily covers that out of the commission so it's a cost of doing business, and to me it makes sense.Being held to a higher standard and having to disclose being a licensee isn't really a negative for me, I firmly believe the only way to build a sustainable, localized business of any kind is shooting for a win for both parties through full transparency and doing the right thing at all times and in every deal (sorry didn't mean to moralize).On the broker front, I'm signing up with Summit Realty Group, they're licensed in Texas, operate virtually, and charge a reasonable per-transaction fee only.

@Sean Gibson ,So let me see if I understand this correctly, taxpayers are paying you while you are conducting personal research on a daily basis and using official police authority and equipment paid for by taxpayers.Is there not one person left out there with morals or ethics?

If you want money and have no moral character you will throw anyone under the bus.

But that's a whole lot of moralizing going on, IMO.

Am I overthinking it or do you agree that it just seems morally wrong to do this sort of thing?

@Daniel Dietz We found ourselves in a similar predicament and, being software guys, ended-up writing our own.

The morale of this story … …is to tell you that you need think ahead.

I'm sticking my business model in marketing myself as my normal profession as a cop, due the the know trust, morals and implied ethics instilled in us which isn't there with unknown investors.

I had a help going into commercial though because I bought a few rentals on their personal side and that gentleman was a support of me to the commercial banker.So the moral of my story is that reserves will SAVE your retirement and time will allow you to be smarter and make more risky choices because you have experience.

Good article, but the moral of the story can be boiled down to "when taking on things you're unfamiliar with, use a LICENSED contractor."