Rockefeller if I had to choose one quote that fits my life today.

When the VA repos a home and it gets sold they always ask if you are a veteran or active duty... well you my friend fit that category.

If a property fits your goals and expectations under local conditions not much on the national stage will effect that in an active market.

Welcome to BP.With a family due to arrive, your life will be busy, but once you and your wife decide what types of investing would be good/better/best fits for you, then you plan how you will jump in.One option that could be available to you, if you fancy being a landlord is something you could do,  is to find a du/tri/quadraplex that would serve both as your family home and bring with it tenants to help pay the mortgage (and sometimes more).  

They were just so old and in such shabby condition that I was concerned with the maintenance costs over time not fitting into the pricing properly.

Most importantly, should you have the desire to sell; I am willing to pay a fair market price for a property that fits my investment goals.

Are there different types of licenses or one size fits all with different names (broker, agent, realtor, etc.)?  

They have wide latitude to administer the program how they see fit in their area to produce the best results.

Make sure it's the right "fit" for you and your family and run all the numbers.

Congrats @Michael Ford Look for local real estate meetups to network and market this property, use bandit signs to market (assuming that fits the neighborhood) and market daily on craigslist to get that property sold!