You need to engage a competent CPA who can go over "your" specific fact pattern with you and advise you accordingly.

In the paragraph numbered 1 of the Love Funding Engagement Letter of August 20,2015 was this statement: LFC will have the exclusive right to represent Borrower in its application to HUD in connection with this project for the purpose of obtaining Section 223(f) mortgage insurance for the Loan and all meetings and correspondence with HUD will be accomplished solely through LFC.In the paragraph numbered 6 of the same letter, was this statement:Any amounts not used will be refunded or credited to the Borrower at the Loan closing.In the paragraph numbered 11 of the said Engagement Letter were these sub-paragraphs:(ii) Each party agrees to the use of binding arbitration administered by the American ArbitrationAssociation to resolve any claim for damages related to or arising from this Letter Agreement, the Firm Commitment or documents executed in connection with closing the Loan (the "Loan Documents").Borrower and LFC each hereby waives its rights to a trial by jury and agrees not to file any complaintfor damages, engage in any legal action or proceeding in any court, or appeal the outcome of a finaland binding arbitration.

So long story short, I'm hear to learn and observe the lessons shared here from the many experienced people who are actively engaged in real estate.

So if my ultimate goal was to own a brokerage, one of my action steps would have to be to obtain a real estate salesperson’s license.To identify a mentor, join some local REIAs and continue to engage here on BP.

Example: I'll jog through key areas that I think I might have potential to attract buyers, I'll engage people in conversation/negotiation daily, and I'm thinking about knocking out my appraisers license right after I get my real estate license.

University of Chicago and NBER (source)The DOJ and the FTC have brought several suits against Real Estate Boards for engaging in behavior that restrains trade [1] [2] [3] [4].  

Being able to source very specified mailing list, as well as use our creative team to come up with really disruptive and engaging campaigns has helped keep clients happy and remailing month after month.

I've been both personally and professionally interested in engaging with the BP community, to learn and to share about equipping people to make real estate an option to reaching their goals. 

Hello @Denis Bliakhman and welcome to BPglad to have you here.Feel free to engage with the community and help out where you can.There are also useful resources for all type of investors(new, seasoned,intermediate)All the best forward

Again welcome to the community go ahead and engage with the community they are all good people here willing to help or offer advice.