If you are buying your own properties just factor it in the price of doing business.If you want to schlep buyers around or list homes then take the exams and affiliate with a broker.Money aside, here is why I recommend this: the effort, energy and stress of getting a license you don’t need is just not worth it.

How much time, energy, fuel/mileage (this is huge if you live in city with bad traffic/commutes and the property isn't nearby), resources are you going to spend to try to get an undesireable property to sell quickly?

Heating costs go up in winter, as does electric due to the reduced natural light and people being indoors more.

You'll also be paying all utilities - electric, gas, water, internet, cable, etc which you wouldn't do with a LTR. 

I set up autopay for all utilities (water, electric, gas).

Maybe I'm just have missed these answers, or maybe its common sense and I'm just oblivious to this, but my question is, if the house is big enough to so that one floor can be rented and the other is occupied by me, are the utilities just split depending on the amount of tenants (members of a family), electrical, water/sewer, etc. or can you have it metered separately, if its not registered as a 'duplex/multi family dwelling'. 

A tenant who knows they do not have to pay electric, gas, sewer, and water will almost always keep their home super toasty in the winter and super cold in the summer.

For example, my homes were built in the 1960s and 1970s and were recently remodeled and that is structurally good such as foundation, roof, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, etc.

If it is an electric water heater, the heating element(s) may have burned out and needing replacement.

Electrical updates.