Ideally avoiding capital gains tax, we've owned it for more than 5 yrs & lived there the whole time.  

Although a cash offer may help you win the property or gain concessions in the short-term, there are long-term benefits to using debt. 

When I sold my properties, the price did not increase much (though there was still a slight profit, couple with the rental I had over the years and currency gain (bought when USD was low and sold when USD was high).

Converting the entire property to a rental later allows full deductions but eliminates primary residence tax benefits, potentially increasing capital gains taxes on sale.

Would having the license help me save money or gain more control over my projects?

The three ways to handle the risk are (1) gaining knowledge and experience in both investment in general and in the area you’re investing in specifically (2) extensive due diligence and when the inevitable bad outcomes occur despite (1) and (2) then (3) diversification.  

If so invest locally, gain experience and knowledge, scale up and go from there. 

It's always best to start local and then gain experience as you go through the motions as a new landlord. 

We've listed the property on HipCamp, basically an AirBnb platform for camping/glamping where we've got some traction building.

Primary residence capital gain $250,000 exclusion.