You asked for the Minnesota perspective, here it is (I've been a Broker in Minnesota since 1992):MLS, Realtor Associations, are expensive as noted previously, and finding a broker that isn't too expensive is more difficult than you may think (I have been told "hidden" fees brokers charge to agents are common).The other cons of getting a license:1.

I moved here to get a fresh new start in my life and to work on my dream of becoming a real estate investor by flipping houses so I'm here with an open mind and a willful heart to learn.

This is off topic, but for perspective: $2500+/month after tax, plus the value of a rent-free/mortgage-free house, is getting close to the median USA household income after tax.

With the recent discovery, we feel like we are being actively deceived because we are seen as fresh meat or something similar.

The is also my investor group Black Diamond, url in my signature, which has a broader perspective and you are welcome to attend. 

There are may perspectives and is still clear as mud to us but we'll just dive in and see where it goes and what we can learn.

@Stephen Barton My perspective would be that it's not illegal at all to invest without a license.

I want to view this from all different perspectives.

So Brian sounds like he has a buyers broker on his side from his post.The person commenting about the buyers agent out for commission I think that is funny from the perspective of there really isn't ant money on this deal.The agent gets 3% commission say on 27,000 so that is a whopping 810.00.

Look at this situation and with a detached perspective, ask yourself if this is truly an opportunity and what the upside and downsides are.