You've received some great advice on here so far from the other BP members.I don't think getting licensed is the best route for all of the reasons cited by @Brendan Markle.That being said, keep weighing the pros and cons of investing in Philly and NYC and consult professionals in both markets if you need some help narrowing down your options.If you're looking at NYC, I'm 99% sure house-hacking will be your best bet.

I've narrowed it down to 3: Berkshire Hathaway, Keller Williams, Signature Real Estate (This last one is only in Las Vegas and here, they are fee based but also offer great training for newbies)With my intensions of focusing on luxury homes, I worry about working with a smaller brokerage (Signature).

Fear is narrowing some people's ability to think outside the box. 

It is safe within a narrow dose range and it may be effective.

So, I'm curious to hear from others who've invested through at least 1 recession to see if you could narrow down a few best lessons that can help others in the current challenging market. 

I would say narrow your focus on rather you want short term gains i.e -flipping or wholesaling- or perhaps you want to build long term wealth with using rental properties to get started with that $17k...

North Jersey is a big place make sure you narrow down you search to a few specific markets.

Any who, I'm narrowing in on what will hopefully be my first deal (BRRRR).

I found it highly helpful.I've been talking to a realtor in Cleveland and trying to narrow down an area to invest.

This exemption from UDFI in fact only applies in the very narrow scope of debt-financed real property.