Find a quality agent in Texas, then ask them if they offer a referral fee.

Insurance would cover it, I would pay the deductible, and no assets would be lost.If you are in an area like San Diego where people are more likely to sue, a judge is more likely to find you guilty, and the payout is expected to be higher, you may consider an umbrella insurance policy.

Lots of leg work, calls and emails, but if you can find a few deals that could get you started with enough capital to get into your first deal on your own.

I will do my regular due diligence when dealing with a new partnership and any deals they find. 

I find it to be a really good selling point for tenants and with the better quality units I have less maintenance requests. 

Sometimes hard to find this happy medium in rate sheets, though.Another consideration would be taxes - points are typically treated as interest, so if your tax obligations are high this year vs being higher in the future, then this could also impact buying down now vs paying a little more in interest in future years. 

Try to find a property manager that also does sales / brokerage.

Where do you find details on prices, demand, cash flow etc? 

My stock portfolio has compounded by 45% annually over the past several years and I routinely take profits and derisk, go into cash and then back if I find deals.

Making money was a bonus because I live here.How did you find this deal and how did you negotiate it?