@Jake DeBoer Roof has a whole suite of features in the app that tenants can use with their roommates, so it seems to be useful especially for college kids or just young people in general.

I have zero experience in real estate but feel that buy and hold will suit me best.

I called the magistrate and they said if I wanted to bring a civil suit I could do that or call the sheriff. 

Once you're deemed credit worthy by lenders you can start using leverage which needs to be used VERY carefully but is also extremely powerful.I personally do NOT recommend that someone with a trades or self employment 'life track' as you are describing is best suited to buy a first house with cash, and for instance use your time to fix it up.Few reasons here:Firstly, often the kinds of 'cash deals' available are ones that can to generalize tend to be more cash flow type properties (as opposed to equity properties). 

Of course this would have to be in writing so I don't give them money and they continue the suit.

If you sell now, you'll likely break even (after commissions) and you can take your money and buy something else better suited for what you need.2.)

Now a days, as lending guidelines loosen up a bit to make room for more buyers like yourself in stickier situations, debt-to-income guidelines have also followed suite.

Several years ago we had a fellow Landlord spend $100k in legal fees defending a LB suit. 

Hello,I have a house that was flooded in Harvey (Aug. 2017) for the first time (to my knowledge as I bought it from a wholesaler with no disclosure) .The house is one story with three bedrooms (one of them is a master suite) with a very reasonable living space and backyard.I rehabbed the house and it looks great now, ....nobody would buy it :0(The house is near the medical center in Houston (in a subdivision called parkwest near Westbury) If I rent it it will create a -ve cash flow of about $300I'm thinking to turn it into Senior independent living but it seems to be very complicated strategy with the best yield.Any experience in doing this in Houston would e appreciated?

Especially if it will be worth more in a year (as long as the law suit is really only going to take a year...as I’m sure you are well aware law suits can get drug out with continuances).