Looking for a house we could house hack, had an incredibly low interest rate on mortgage and house has increased in value about 42%, an estimated 180k in equity.

People also love the back deck with the string lights and a nice seating area. 

Seems like a low risk strategy for you to start taking action on your dreams, which is the crucial ingredient towards reaching FI. 

No capital gain tax, small property tax-  USD $50 per year on a $500k home, very low personal income tax- say zero.  

We are a growing market with low unemployment but you will see a lot of the rental income going to covering expenses and setting aside reserves. 

The median home price is also very low nationwide which creates a low barrier to entry.

I don't know the city well, but seems to be light on demand drivers other than Baylor University. 

Interest rates will not be low.

Down payment of $13K including reserves sounds pretty low to me . ( Based on Maryland )

These platforms typically have billing policies where you pay a per unit fee per month to the software and you get regular updates and support each month.There are a number of low-cost platforms available that are able to offer you a lower price by passing along some of the costs to your tenants (payment processing fees, applications, tenant screening, etc).