Don't count on real estate agents to willfully disclose the necessity of flood insurance so be sure to ask each and every time...

I've started taking the class to become licensed, but am really curious to learn about any possibilities for education outside of the legal necessities.

A full time PM is great to have but it's more a luxury than a necessity.

I think there are plenty of places to achieve that happy medium, especially if you are the sort of person who doesn't have to live in an ultra-hip part of the country for either professional or preferential reasons.30 was my "retirement" goal, but I've amended it to "as soon as practical" :) For me, that is $30k+ yearly "passive" cashflow, since I can personally live on that and remove the necessity for a conventional job. 

We hired a real estate agent out of necessity because we just needed them to unlock the doors of the houses we were finding.

So you (almost by necessity) give more "general" advice that you'd like, you have to work in sales pitches for bronze, gold, silver, etc. memberships.  

I figure they put the law in place thinking that the renovations are being done as a necessity to just keep the unit maintained.

Not a necessity but definitely in your favor to do so starting out. 

I remember the feeling of scarcity every day while growing up but they were able to provide the basic necessities that my brother and I needed.

Is this a necessity?