Across the board, the worse the neighborhood, the better the cash flow, the better the neighborhood, the trade off for tenants base, better schools, low crime, etc etc.

Since you're in Texas, I'll use a town like:  Each town will be different based on the population living outside of town. 

All the add-ons are a la carte so you can definitely get a lot of value based on what you need.One thing I personally don't like is that when tenants pay rent, they are charged $1 per transaction for ACH use.

Since I'm based in Tampa, I don't look outside and compare markets. 

If the lease auto-renews to a month-to-month, then you can post a letter on their door (take a pic) or send it by certified mail with a signature required with the new terms starting at the appropriate times based on the lease.

Generally yes a HELOC will go off your personal finances so qualifying is generally based on your income, liabilities, and credit. 

I’m based in Portland, Oregon, where residential investing seems challenging due to landlord-unfriendly policies and negative cash flow on higher-quality properties.

Hey Jon would recommend checking out FB groups if you aren't local (looks like you're based in the Bay).

That amount varies a lot. 

But this is definitely a CPA question because the IRS rules are based on your AGI and phase out if your AGI is over $100k.