No idea as to how effective they are and suspect the franchise holders would keep this info pretty confidential.

Was wondering if strategies like direct mailing are effective in this high end of the market...anyone have experience with this?

Mainly because without deep level knowledge those unknown little mistakes add up to big amounts of lost money ( a compounding effect ).The same holds true when when you are an expert in something in that you catch almost all the little things that can really eat into your success with an investment.

I am a distressed note investor that typically buys nation wide so buying strictly nj is not my strong suit.  

As a licensed Realtor, you are providing a service of value, and if you were to give that to your IRA for free, you are in effect adding value to the IRA - which could constitute a self-dealing, prohibited transaction.  

Steven Covey (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People).

I can't picture in my head how a house from 1930 would have the type of architecture that would lend itself well to this effect - maybe you can post up a picture? 

Any suits directed at an investor cannot easily touch assets under the LLCs because they're protected under a different legal name.One possible disadvantage is the due on sale or transfer clause in most mortgages.

What classes and where you take the classes is going to effect the cost.Once your up and running I have found I need to buy 1 property ($100K+) a year and the licence pays for itself.

Your flooring will go down better, wear better, and the warranty will remain effective if you follow the manufacturer installation instructions.