According to the FHA web site: “You may buy a home or do a refinance mortgage using FHA loans two years after the date of discharge for a bankruptcy, assuming that you have maintained perfect credit since the bankruptcy discharge with a FHA streamline refinance loan.”So if you’re in bankruptcy, and still want to buy a house, keep your chin up.

I'm trying to figure out what my dues would be on a monthly / yearly basis to maintain my license and purchase access to the MLS.I tried doing a search online and I couldn't find any true numbers.  

I tend to want to put down as little as possible, while maintaining a healthy positive cash flow(income after ALL expenses).  

Licensees are heavily regulated, at least in AZ, so having a license can hinder your "creativity" as an investor so it may not be worth the acquisition, risk, hassle & cost of maintaining it.Good luck!

However, job loss, stagnant wages in an inflationary environment, sudden disability, divorce, and other life changing events can alter the tenant's ability to maintain that income to housing cost ratio.

How do you plan to maintain the property?

Maintained lots of cards with low balance to limit, etc.

Instead, speak to the problems of maintaining a vacant house, or dealing with problem renters. etc.; show how you can solve those problems.  

Lots of well maintained "Grandma's Houses" that could use an updating.

Actually, HD doesn't have thousands of 1099s like carpet/cabinet installers, they actually hire one cabinet installing company to do it for them the required insurance is 2M/5M Liability among others, its a whole new different discussion. 1099s are used by most small businesses like part time bar tending, and large businesses who doesn't want to maintain more payroll, like a construction manager, project manager, tax consultant or legal consultant if they aren't incorporated.