People are busy with their kids school events, shopping and getting ready for Christmas or getting ready for vacation before the new year.

Hey Steven, I'm shopping around for fix & flip lenders. 

The agents have referred us to the lenders they use, however we are still rate shopping and want to minimize closing costs in addition to getting a great rate.

If you want to work for an institutional investor or have any desire to play in the middle market or above [which the best way to do the latter is to have worked at for an institutional shop] then a degree is a requirement and if you want to work at the shops that do the most interesting deals [family offices, pension funds, REITS ect] you will have had to work at some of the larger firms to cut your teeth and they do care where you went to school.

With your unique situation, I'd focus on talking to mortgage brokers, as they have a lot more flexibility since they can shop around your mortgage to different banks.

I am currently taking the pre-licensing course with The CE Shop and am planning to work as a real estate agent, as I am a people person and like the work model of agents (dealing with customers, excelling in sales, providing exceptional service, etc.) 

There are local credit unions out there who are doing low and no money down conventional loan products with no pmi, you just need to shop around.  

I have been to a couple of the local REI meet ups at Third Space Coffee in the Springs, but that's about it so far.

Online learning through CE Shop is what I did. 

What would you say is the best way to shop for deals in this fashion?