I personally like to stay in mine for 3 days atleast while I setup to know my properties more intimately and to work out the bugs which would be problems for guests.

As far as expenses for things such as electricity and RE taxes (paid in 2023), those will generally be deductible on Sch E.

Even though they are renovated, they have to be pretty old in Richardson, maybe 70s vintage, so I would want to know who rehabbed them and what did they actually do....like new electrical and plumbing...any foundation work?

I have an electrical background my father is licensed so not afraid of upgrading services and fixtures that other investors don't want to touch. 

Also, the electrical panel is on the rental side and the AC is all currently one unit throughout the house.

Splitting utilities (getting new meters for gas, electric, and water) is pretty expensive and it's difficult to split the fees accurately between tenants. 

Jacob I should have labeled "RGE" better as that is our Gas and electric estimated at $120/month.

Also, our gas and electric bills did not acknowledge our address; rather, the bills both showed our address as two numbers off. 

I'm pretty handy, I demolished the kitchen myself, put down flooring, and electrical wiring and all that. 

I don't think it is a good idea any more than you should also get your insurance broker's license, your title insurance license, your contractors license, roofer's license, and while you're at it HVAC certification, Electrical and Plumbing Master licenses.Some people do both, but I think for the majority of people there is enough to keep up with on either business that if you try to do both you do neither the justice it deserves.