I am in contact with a realtor in NC and was informed that builders there will not build without a budget of at least 1million.

My budget for the property is up to $200K. 

Many skip tracing companies have a minimum count or spend.

I’ve isolated these three markets as they’re all within driving distance from my home and seem to fit my budget of $100K-$200K for purchase price.

I would not eliminate OKÇ based on tornadoes, that is why you carry insurance.It will very difficult to find something in Austin that fits your budget.  

With your budget, depending on where you are working, I'd consider Silver Spring or Hyattsville  

I am not sure what the availability of cleaners in that area so I would spend time right now see what is there before committing to a property.Also, if you are spending 2k a year on fixing or replacing stuff, you are getting the wrong guests.

Ideally, I would like to use the buy and hold strategy, with a 50k budget to get started.  

Eliminate debt, establish a budget, and save.

The BEST method for real estate investing is very simple: increase earnings, reduce expenditures, save, and invest from your own funds.You should focus on increasing earnings and learning how to manage your budget.