I am handy and I could handle the finances, website, screening etc. but I would need to hire contractors for some things of course.

I watched a YouTube video recently(my watch history was off, smh) and I accidentally backed out of the screen and lost the clip. 

Take those things into consideration as you take on the challenge and call a property manager if you get in over your head.HOWEVER, deciding to use a property manager in the beginning when screening the right tenant, (we call them Residents), highly increases you likelihood of success as a CASHFLOWING investor. 

Where there is a potential for irreparable harm, such as when a non-compete agreement has been broken or trade secrets have been misappropriated, Texas courts are typically ready to issue injunctive relief.

Also learn to do a better job of screening them.

I have an option to rent to a close friend of mine but from a screening standpoint I don't know if his financials are there.

You screen voucher tenants like you would screen anyone else.

After I paid, I saw this screen:3 days went by... at which point I wrote to them and asked for a refund since I had not heard from anyone.If any anyone knows an attorney that can provide better service than this, please let me know. 

However, you do need to handle this situation carefully, make sure you follow a standard screening process to avoid any Fair Housing Act violations.I'm honestly not even sure if you can initiate the conversation with the parole officer, if they reach out to you, or the tenant provides the info and offers the opportunity to call them, that's a different story.Make sure you apply the same screening criteria you use for all potential tenants. 

We've got some great people renting in the neighborhood, but a lot of the landlords were not screening tenants.