There's no real hard and fast way or only 1 way or doing your first 2 points. your subject line suggests you're not looking to go to a large shop like a JLL or a CBRE which honestly I don't blame you those offices are usually pretty bloated.As far as monthly costs, if you are going to individually get a costar or other such license you are probably looking at $500-$1000 a month pretty easy in overhead once you have office dues, mls dues, marketing, etc. 

Buy box: Location: Approx. 30 min drive to Boston Heights, for workNeighborhoods: Decent walkability score - not far from shops/restaurants/trendy neighborhoodsIdeal tenants: Close to hospitals/universities/schools for professionals/students/familiesBudget: $175-250K - Buying w/conventional loan, 5% down/ approx 20K reno.Property type: MFH 2-4 units - preferably side-by-side, with a yard we can fence for our dogUnits: 3+/1+ - better if 1.5/2 bath per unitTimeline: Plan to live there for 2 years, but possibly only 1 year if we find another investment opportunityGoal: Focus on appreciation - would like to see cash flow in year 2-3 (the year we move out), including overhead (Vacancies, Maintenance, Utilities) and budgeting in PM if eventually we don't manage ourselvesValue add: Opportunity for some forced appreciation, but not a full reno - cosmetic upgrades and updating kitchens/baths while we live in one unit.

I shopped all of my state's CU last time so I only called the top few this time around, it does seem like the best way to go about things.

And for reference my sister is dealing with a run down house in Louisiana that has a value of about $95,000 and she shopped multiple policies with multiple insurance companies and the best rate she could get was $2500.

Quote from @Melissa Odom: Hi BP Community,I have a small family-owned shopping center in Wimberley, Texas. 

I can go on campus, my $100 storage unit, a coffee shop, etc.   

2) What's your favorite coffee shop/brunch place in Santa Fe?

I'd recommend getting in touch with an investment focussed broker who can help you shop multiple different lenders at once.

And I'm shopping on preforeclosures right now.

You might’ve rate-shopped a bit early, but it’s not a deal-breaker.