Looking to Start my Own IA

[indienoise]

The best of both worlds is to go with a group that does not have a non-compete because there is none and offers lifetime residuals.

There seems to be two types of groups from what I've seen: the type to get new agencies established in the type to help established agencies increase profitability. If there is no non-compete you're probably looking at one of the latter. The type that help new agencies tend to have either a non-compete or a buyout. To be fair there are a few groups that don't operate here in the southeast so maybe there are some out west like you described but I have not seen them here