That being said, the purchase price is below $100 per square foot and I am betting the steady flow of increasing population to come to the Houston area as it has for the past several years.

That would be your best bet. 

I think you best bet It's to find a duplex to investing in house hack

I would bet that the majority of people who fear market fluctuations are people who are not at all, or very little invested in the market.

I moved to Phoenix just so I wouldn't have to go to CA :)In LA your best bet is Luxury House Hack as I described in my book.

I think the risks across the board and the caliber of professionals you are likely to encounter would go up a good deal if you look at $100k+ properties ... that is not to say there are NO good professional agents etc. working in $30k properties, just that the incentives are not there and I'd bet the good ones are working more exclusively with huge investors in high volume.It doesn't make sense that the buyer's agent would help you much, though, because the buyer's agent would have to deal with all the same lazy listing agents anyhow, just as you would going directly to them ... but hey, if it works, go for it. 

I bet if we put up a post with just those two words, we would be overwhelmed with inquires.

@James Riley Cook Your best bet is to talk to a mortgage broker instead of a bank.

You best bet is an off-market deal or at least a MLS deal.

But I bet your market is different, and you may have other events, businesses, facilities, or institutions which you can use for long-term rentals.