To my surprise the owner of 30 years said yes he is retiring and would like to sell but he hasn't attempted to yet.

So to @Jay Hinrichs  point, talk with your family and friends, you may be surprised by the interest you generate.

There's plenty of people who will give you the cash to do deals, think a little bigger and you might be surprised with what you come up with.

They can get a loan letter to you that states the average loan closing time and the maximum amount that you qualified for.Another thing you might do is to find your office location that is convenient and has a minimal of distractions.  

We serve a lot of students and young professionals that already have these apps and they love the convenience. 

Well, he was more than right,  we purchased a house with a decent comp and to my surprise  we made the same profit margin that we would have made if we did a full gut rehab and saved  months of interest, labor, material and taxes. i guess I learned something new.

There are alot of fun surprises in REI.  

Wouldn't surprise me if not, but figured worth asking.

I would also be interested to learn at what age the transition from damage to normal wear and tear occurs.Also, if you have a good carpet cleaning company, you will be surprised what all they can extract from your carpet.

While a license isn't necessary, it has a couple of distinct advantages: access to the MLS, access when it's convenient for you to look at properties, and ability to submit as many offers as you want at any price range.