Here are a few recommendations:* Work or volunteer at a local real estate office.

So I’ve been wanting to change career paths and become a loan officer.

@Max Emory "Oh, how the turn tables…" Office reference?  

County offices should have owner info.

My office typically does 100% to investors until their capital contribution has been returned, then a split for the equity growth.

I've been assigned a loan officer who confirms it to be valid.Trust but verify, they say.

@George GlessnerThat is incorrect talk to a loan officer, a lot of them are unfamiliar with the actual Fannie Mae guideline and cite the Freddie Mac guideline or their bank overlay.

The concern with some lenders is frankly the loan officer sucks and it takes more of my time to manage them than it does the transaction.With that said, if the loan officer is popular in the real estate community, it can help. 

If you want to work for an institutional investor or have any desire to play in the middle market or above [which the best way to do the latter is to have worked at for an institutional shop] then a degree is a requirement and if you want to work at the shops that do the most interesting deals [family offices, pension funds, REITS ect] you will have had to work at some of the larger firms to cut your teeth and they do care where you went to school.

I learned to put a memorandum on the home at the sheriffs office as a "lien" to further secure my deal.Doing my research and communication with everyone from the court, bank, attorneys, etc.on a constant basis ensured that nothing was delayed or missed.I learned about abatements and how to get to the next level when I had a uncooperative code enforcement office.