that's all I have done my entire adult life since I was first licensed at 18.. there is a difference in being a retail real estate sales person and using a license to further your investing goals.Its not an easy business by any means to be a retail agent and there is a high burn out rate.. not as high as wholesalers but its at least 50%...If your an ACTIVE investor I cant see how you can do without it.. if your fix and flipping in my mind its mandatory.its about 2k a year to keep sometimes less and If your business does not allow that or like some say the cost is to high then in my mind your not really in the business its a pittance to spend to have access to all the info and be in the club.if your goal is to be a lifelong landlord then work for a commercial brokerage that specializes in cash flow real estate just being there will open up doors.if by chance your very good at sales and have a very large warm market you may shock yourself in how much money you can make just in transactional real estate.. 

While the city council’s societal heart may be in the right place (for the tenants getting priced out of the Seattle) the onslaught of recent ordinances (1st in time application - challenged and overturned in Court, limits on move-in costs / pet fees, no criminal checks, etc.) these have in many cases encroached and/or completely ignored landlord/property owner rights and create such complex regulations that it is in many cases not feasible or cost effective for small mom & pops to manage their own properties, so they reach out to pros and pass the costs along to the tenants.

Are you analyzing a particular transaction?

I'd like something that's relatively cost effective, so central air is likely out of the question.Does 3 zones make sense?

If so, then your self-directed IRA cannot be used in any way to participate in the purchase transaction as that would constitute self-dealing.If the IRA is purchasing the home purely as an IRA investment, then the loan must be non-recourse, meaning no personal guarantee from you. 

Not sure how it is where you're at, but listings are already priced above market value to begin with here, then trying to tack on 3-6% on top of that for concessions is a recipe for problems later in the transaction..  

That is especially true with the tax law change that went into effect this year; the standard deduction nearly doubled, so the taxes you save by itemizing might be much less than they were in the past (in other words, because you are getting a larger benefit through the larger standard deduction the "cost" of not having the mortgage interest deduction might be less).I can see an argument for there being better uses for your money than to pay off a mortgage with a 5.5% interest rate (if you can make an investment that pays at least 6% for example), but if your quality of life will improve because you paid off your debt and are now "financially independent" then that is what you should do.

Is it just a quick transaction ( just pay and receive lien certificate and walk out of the building?

On all my other deals I have never used a bird dog, so I do not know what's appropriate. no idea what is appropriate for bird dog but for a buy and hold or any transaction really 1 to 2k.. and then take that and pay them monthly over 36 months.. and then tell them to go find 20 more.. you have the opportunity here on BP to listen to those with a lot of experience at this and I cant stress enough that minor partners are trouble.. it never works out.. and they will think it was all them and you could have never done it without them.. pay them for what they did but DO NOT put them on title or a member of your LLC.. this mistake cost me a few hundred grand over the last 30 years.. even I can learn from my booboos  but I did not have BP to ask should I have minor partners sounded good at the time.. but then they have an interest and they can then exercise that interest and usually blackmail you into more than you really owe them.. 

This is a relatively new concept to me and no one in my direct network has experience with these types of transactions and tools, so I'm in the dark.