.- I have excellent credit and over $100k in non retirement investment accounts intended for buying my first home.- No kids, just a significant other.- Zero debt.If you were me, what would be your next step?

Like for me I have a business I enjoy that produces active income I don't see myself stepping out of anytime soon, so I am prioritizing the nicer areas/properties that might not cash flow as much right now but will in the future and provide me with good depreciation to offset active income right now.Just such a personalized thing that doesn't have a one size fits all approach.  

The second way is if he were absentee ( which he is not) he could have fit neatly into my “exception” for some successful FRANCHISE operations. 

Marco, who runs Norada, is very knowledgeable about real estate markets in the US and can help you find the one that better fits your investment goals.

Excellent idea!

I would suggest googling (or using Instagram) to find designers in your area that fit your style and visiting their website to see what services they offer.Another avenue is to search for interior design "build recipes" or "design recipes".

Outside of work my interests are sports, fitness, poker and coaching my sons little league baseball team.

Overall I have the impression that many software/tools--provide very interesting amount of actual deeds, history, lien info, county recorded documents, or other direct data.Here is an incomplete list of some services I'm looking into, to see if I find one (or 2) that are a good fit!

Plenty of attorneys in DFW area.You can also use a realtor to lease your property and they can use the TAR lease which is an excellent leases that most attorney's realtors and judges will recognize.   

To be successful, your property very likely will need to abut to your proposed zone.You should research if the town has a mixed use zoning which may fit your need the best.