Your mother makes $45K and father just has lawn mowing income, yet they owe $35K on their taxes this year?

When I left there in 2005, the City was reducing the number of lawns, cutting back on vegetation that required watering, and I believe they even drained Desert Shores for a while.

With Prop 13, the average CA prop tax is 0.8% but that is factoring in all the long time owners who are paying an artificially lower percent. 

paint touchup around home, cosmetic stuff with brick flower bed, taking down a roap swing, removal of a deck in back that is basically a warehouse pallet, possibly some lawn care, etc.

Having 1 lawn, 1 boiler, 1 water heater, 1 roof is great!

My guess is you'll be closer to 3-3.25%, but rates may go lower.Always include Management (10%), even if you plan to self-manage at first.What about lawn care?

That would give you flexibility and is more reasonable to manage once you've had enough of house-hacking yourself.There are many more expenses than just the mortgage: Insurance, taxes (very high in TX), Vacancy, Repairs, CapEx, Lawn care, Management.

Everyone takes a turn cleaning the bathrooms and kitchen areas or even just giving the tenants a certain time period for them to clean up after themselves and might outsource the lawn care to a company for sure

I tend to try and hit at least 8 percent, perhaps that is too low or misguided for others as a CoC return, open to thoughts on that.In any case, assuming half of this would be my HELOC and half my money, would that artificially increase my CoC return assuming I pay the HELOC back via the cash I'm receiving and then perhaps a year or so later refinance and pay it off? 

Just a little sad to see a full month of rent and I'm guessing the $500 inspection cost bring down the 1st year CoC return but as you've pointed out, no point in leaving certain costs out of the formula just so the number looks artificially nicer.