A licenced driver goes through both written testing and driving test, which proves their knowledge of the law.Licensing just means you went through education and testing.

I think you should stress test the crap out of your current portfolio before levering to buy more.

We all know BRRR is the ultimate goal, however, with us being so far away, it's just too many things to juggle without having a tried, tested and trustworthy team on the ground.

Best of luck with your new real estate venture. 203k is a great way to go, very paperwork intensive though.We're investors and property managers in Central Mass as well, so feel free to connect. 

Also, find out the health and eye test requirements and make sure that you can qualify.Owning real estate IS a business, even if you have someone else manage it for you.There is a big jump between "starting a business" and "having a big corporation."

Whether it’s a cosmetic remodeling or a deeper and more intensive renovation, you can turn pennies into dollars with the right updates to your portfolio.Your thoughts?

It's a lot more labor intensive and requires more capital upfront to buy supplies and mange turnover. 

Meanwhile I'm getting the education required to be an agent and will evaluate after completing the education on whether or not I want to move forward with 'taking the test.'

Assuming you go FHA, your down payment is back down to 3.5% which expands that purchasing power, and with FHA you have to pass the self-sufficiency test on 3-4 unit properties. 

If you find projects with rents far below market and high vacancy, it may be a deeply distressed property and it could wind up being a capital intensive endeavor.