Driving around and writing down addresses isn't licensed activity anywhere. Nobody needs a license to look at houses from a public street or to mail a letter to an owner asking if they'd sell.
The assignment question is where it gets real, and your meetup guy is half right. Wholesaling means you sign a purchase contract as the buyer and then assign that contract to someone else for a fee. Several states have passed rules in recent years that either require a license for repeated wholesale activity, cap how many you can do unlicensed per year, or require you to disclose in writing that you're marketing a contract rather than the property itself. Other states have done nothing. Which bucket you're in depends entirely on your state, and this is a question for a licensed attorney in that state rather than a forum, because the penalty side of it can include voiding the contract.
On the car: a personal auto policy generally covers personal use, and insurers do treat regular business use differently. Driving to look at properties you might buy is usually closer to commuting than to livery, but the way to settle it is one call to your agent describing exactly what you're doing and getting the answer in writing. It costs you nothing and the alternative is finding out at claim time.
The coverage most drivers actually skip and shouldn't is general liability, which matters the moment you're walking a property rather than viewing it from the curb. Stepping onto a lawn to read a door notice is trespass in most places if nobody invited you, and it also isn't covered by anything.
