Cash for keys is definitely the best way to get people out in the day when I was very active at court houses steps cash for keys was by far the best way to get folks to move and bad tenants in a state with bad eviction laws to me would be the preferred method. you simply pay them when they are leaving the house not before.. that works fine and you give them more than 1k .. you make it worth their while..

We will shop for used appliances where we can when we need one… or pick up used cabinets if we can, or search eBay for something smaller,  but going to the extreme of personally shipping something big in internationally for one-off renovation needs seems like a stretch of reasonable.Just like you mention, the number of unknowns would not seem to be worth it to me.Just my 2 cents.Randy  

As home values rise, so does your net worth.

Even after one year, that property may provide thousands of dollars worth of appreciation, you will pay down your loan and build some equity, and you can depreciate the asset. 

Help me see if this is "worth it" or not.  

Meanwhile, gross rents of $1,800+ for 3-bedroom single-families is an achievable figure, so it’s possible to generate cash flow if you lever modestly.There’s a bunch of other stuff that’s worth highlighting—the economy, demographics, neighborhoods, new construction, and more.

(You say it’s worth about $100k more than you’re paying so figure an extra $15k.)Maybe you’d be better off partnering with the parents unless they have zero interest?

@Rami Refaeli I am on the Fort Worth side of the metroplex but the company I work for is based in North Dallas.

Or you have to take a value add approach to make it worth the hassle. 

@Amir PortalStarting the BRRRR strategy in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area is a smart way to build your real estate portfolio, especially with the area's growth and rental demand.