It's also nice that they have their own recommended insurer, those rates are much lower then what I would pay up in the northeast. 

Nice try, but this time does not count.In order to meet 750 hours, your wife will need one of the below:- do something else real estate related, like wholesaling or realtor- actively work on expanding your rental portfolio - have an extensive DIY rehab, like a month-long full-time rehab (and then she might need another kind of rehab)- a calamity such as multiple properties damaged in a storm where she will have to deal with insurers and contractors- something else out of the ordinaryAgain - if all you have is 9 single-family properties with stable tenants and typical occasional maintenance - you don't have enough work to collect 750 hours.

Beyond that, every city I have been to has rough areas where "cash flow looks great on paper" and "nice areas where appreciation should be great".  

Everyone was nice, they have great research on their management areas and good statistics to back up their management (although I find their statistics are overly optimistic, they are still real numbers)There just wasn't enough meat on the bone for me to go that route.

My mom lives in a nice house that she has paid off.

With your additional $100,000, you’d have a nice cushion to renovate or furnish a property like that.It really comes down to how involved you want to be and your long-term goals.

What I found was, yes it was nice have additional income, but each project seemed to always interfere.

There are pros and cons but i believe for most properties the cons out weight the pros.  

I personally invest in the North Dallas area (Prosper/Celina) where there is lots of growth in homes with nice lots.

EMAIL would be nice too.