I've been wanting to get some advice from people about my specific situation, but there's a lot so I'll try to keep it to the point;In short, I'm wanting to "officially" start my real estate investing journey, making it my source of income - and I'm wanting to do house flipping as my strategy, at least initially.  

Doesn't sound like a lease option at all.So, after 5 years you get the $2k-$5k down, the little bit of amortization payments, and the difference of $875/mo and $667.33/mo? 

With rising property values and high demand across the state, do you think Texas is still an affordable option for first-time homebuyers?

Also, focus on building a solid understanding of deal analysis, financing options, and project management—it’ll save you time and money in the long run.

For example, an agent would collect a reduced commission, flat transaction fee, or no commission if the buyer sources an off-market deal directly.In your case, if you'd like to compensate your agent, you can include it in the loan.

There are options via the Positive Rent Payment program (Fannie Mae) to do so. 

@Blake Lewis can help you out and give you some options.

In parallel, we want to apply our learning by analyzing deals using, for example, the "ANALYZE DEALS" option on this website.

If you're not in a hurry and/or don't trust the lender at this point, it might not be a bad idea to check out other options.

Others have already mentioned your options.