It became clear to me that it would be much more efficient having my own license and the same tools at my disposal.  

I like the public record route because not many people use those tools in their favor.

I have created an account, and when I put in my credit card info, it did not pass. It failed several times. Did anyone have similar issues?

As I see it, wholesalers are just a tool to find a deal, and there are many other ways as well to find deals that have been discussed and explained throughout the BP site.

The question becomes, How much income do you need and how many units will you need to reach your goal.For people in the early stages of investing I think its a great goal setting tool.

Also, I can show you some tools I have that can help you serve your clients investment goals.

You pretty much have to pay for Microsoft's suite of tools (unless you bittorrent it).

Use the BP tools, find a FSBO home on craigslist, and evaluate it.  

There is a lot of vital information on this website - use the tool tab at the top of the screen to begin the learning process. 

Also in knowing what areas of town to be interested in making deals (school district, crime rates, accessibility to venues etc.).My "tips" would be to gain the experience by doing :) I still remember my first day in construction and being nervous and feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of grabbing tools and working on someone else's dream of a new home.