Ernest,I would strongly suggest you attend some of the REIA events and also check out meetup websites for real estate professionals.  

Why not practice appraisal and get more money for a somewhat similar assignment.I strongly say, that if that is the only reason you want to get your license, it is not worth it.  

Croix's economy (mainly tourism product) has not been as strong as the other two islands.

Pros:Fewer days on the market (aka reduce vacancy) from additional marketing time and lining up the tenant before the existing tenant has vacatedStaged homes rent better than one w/o furniture (although rare the tenant has good enough style :))Ability to perform an informal "move-out" inspection, which provides a better idea of the turnaround time before the new tenants can move-inTenants may tidy up the place a bit and get a head start on their move-out process (rare, but worth pointing out)Cons:Reduced rent --> assuming some of the above bullet points are a stretch from reality (aka staged home and tidy up the place), the clutter and style may detract tenants from wanting to move-inInconvenience to the existing tenantsCoordination of the showings requires contacting the existing tenantsI know many SFH will list the property while other tenants are in it, but you must take it on a case-by-case basis, and it's heavily dependent on the existing tenants.

Apparently they sent the counter offer to everyone.Anyway, I go up from what i already thought was a strong offer to 12% above asking and removed the appraisal contingency.  

Congrats, sounds like you finished 2015 strong and will continue to do more in 2016.

Nevertheless, once you've gone down that road, it's a very strong "should" do.

Lowes has a 'style selections natural maple' that we like to use and it's only $1/sq ft

You have 7 figures in cash with a strong W2, you should be able to find a small multifamily in a nice neighborhood and live in 1 unit. 

I feel pretty strongly that they need to contribute something to the college effort as well.