I can't stand the 9-5 anymore.

Stand firm, collect the rent & move on.

Plans will shift, but in writing down what your goals are, you stand a far better chance of staying true to your vision, even if some of the details change a bit.Plan for ChangeChange is inevitable.

This has worked for two reasons:1) The properties usually cash flow 30%+ cash on cash or have over a 2.0 debt service coverage so they throw off more than the primary mortgage and the prosper or lending loan and then some2) commercial lenders don't care (at least mine) where the down payment comes from and only that the property can stand on itself.

I would break the news until after you are licensed and when you have an opportunity to offer your opinion or advice on a relevant real estate matter while standing around the water cooler.

Highly labor intensive, half the work or more is not standing at the cart selling!

I stand to gain about 30K in equity once it closes after all expenses are added in since it is selling for less due to the short sale nature of it.So part of me wants to sell my existing house down the road which is in an HOA but part of me doesn't want to give up the appreciation gains I could be looking at with the OTHER rental down the street that I have under contract.

Selling a home is not rocket science, however, that percent that you try to save on listing commission might have been earned back ten fold on price if the property is marketed properly, or on the buyer's appraisal when the savvy agent meets with the appraiser and makes certain the appraiser understands the true value of the home and comps in the area.....or you might save it just with negotiated repairs. 

Not a ton of realtors or leasing agents that are going to take a 90 hour course and take one exam and build the next Facebook...So yeah, I stand by my comments.

As it stands now, it is not.