On licensing: the traditional argument is that you're selling your own contract position rather than brokering someone else's property, so no license is needed. Whether that holds depends entirely on your state, and several states have added registration, disclosure, or outright licensing requirements for wholesaling, with some drawing the line at how you advertise or how many deals you do in a year. Because that's a question about how a specific statute applies to you, get it answered by a real estate attorney licensed in the state where you're operating, and get it in writing.
The tool bill for someone at your stage is smaller than the courses suggest. A property data and skip tracing service runs roughly $100 to $400 a month depending on record volume. A CRM to track sellers and buyers can be free to about $100 a month. Phone and mailing systems are usage-based, so mail at a dollar or two a piece adds up fast if you send volume. Call it a few hundred a month all in for someone not yet transacting.
At the luxury end the spend shifts. Mail campaigns matter less because owners of $3m properties have people screening their post, and the money goes into fewer, better contacts instead. Appraisal or valuation help on a specific estate can be several thousand dollars for one property, and that's a real cost you pay before you know whether the deal works.
The expense people don't plan for is the attorney. At this price point you want your purchase agreement and your assignment reviewed by counsel, and hourly rates for that are not small. Budget it as a cost of doing the first deal rather than a surprise.
