Francesca,I am a local and know the market intimately.

So I say that to say this: Hard work will pay off but the key is clarity on what exactly you want from this,  but you must stick with it as in time your vision gets clearer...

It doesn't sound pleasant.

Seasoning is a pleasant way of saying "I'm going to make a minimum amount on my investment."

I'm sure they are traumatized. 2 dead cats and 9 dumpsters later, we got it demo'd and then 25 gallons of Kilz Max sprayed on every surface.Buy $110kFix $65kARV $220kTo go back in time, I would have postponed the foreclosure instead of rushing to close beforehand, then had some very ample support to get a short sale down to $60k or less.

I also fear that in time the legislature is going to make it tougher to invest, making many of the current strategies difficult or impossible.

If you are a landlord in Texas you should already be intimately familiar with this:http://bit.ly/193G7tp

If you find that FATTER checking accounts is pleasant, you can do more of the cash-outs. 

First in time, first in line.

OP came back just in time to revive a thread that should have gone to bed...