They normally only take cases that are pretty severe and obvious cases of discrimination.So, the odds of any applicant ever actually suing you are slim to none.And if you act in a fair manner, and have reasonable criteria for your tenants and your advertisements aren't overtly racist, you're probably never going to have any claims or lawsuits brought against you.And, even if someone was to get a fair housing lawyer involved, they are probably going to want to mediate a resolution that would be fair.You're always better off to just say a tenant doesn't meet your criteria than let someone in you're not comfortable with, or someone who is trying to bully their way into your unit. 

It takes about a year to even get to mediation, as I recall. 

In Texas, you would head to mediation first, not lawsuits.

The mediation was $10,000 for just 1 day.

I’ve been in this scenario before and it was never difficult: in most cases the tenant doesn’t even show up, and in others we sat with a mediator and worked it out with them.

I want to know what the healthy line of mediation is, and basically I want to remind them that they're in leases so they have to be adults.

Does anyone know an real estate attorney in or near San Antonio that could help mediate a situation.

There is no one to mediate and explain the situation, they get overly emotional(attached) and it seems like they try to kill the deal.

The case went to mediation, tenant got $70,000.

Dont get me wrong, there are MANY different aspects to the profession than just design (like business, law, financing, mediator, etc.) but that main draw to this profession is that someday you get to a point that you get to design your own building (or for someone else).