Until then, I won't be making any money, and would have to find another way to support myself, and I just don't have the energy to pull 12-16 hour days.But if I could land a salaried assistant position, I could earn more than what I make now, build up some capital, learn more about the business, and then transition into real estate sales.But how do I get past the "must have experience" hurdle?

GHP stated that since April 2010, Houston has added over 736,000 residents and that energy industry layoffs have been offset by job creation in other sectors."

Bite the bullet and get a pro membership on BP and use the analysis tool on as many properties as you can find that look interesting to YOU.

Sometimes they're pretty straightforward and easy to sort through, other times they are VERY bizarre and require a lot more time and mental energy to figure out.

Having 500K is helpful but it is by no means a magic bullet. 

Other parts of the country may get a boost from low energy prices. 

I get energy from others like myself who want to bounce ideas/concepts off others. 

My painter was there at the time and he's a young, full of energy type so I let him do most of the work (with a bonus of course).

Hvac energy consumes about 40% of your utility bill (typically) based on seasons.

An interesting article--by Melissa Kwan of Spacio--which describes how beacons, a micro-location technology that pushes information to smartphones  through Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), could be used to change the way potential homebuyers and agents exchange information at open houses to drastically improve the customer experience.