I recently acquired my first primary residence and am seeing ways I can best utilize the space for real estate investing.

Investment Info:Single-family residence buy & hold investment in The Villages.

If it does vest, then the 2nd isn't currently $8k and the paperwork could further help your case.Other option is to completely ignore the equity in your residence and look for creative financing on the property you want to purchase. 

(To avoid months of probate and thousands if not $10’s of thousands of dollars in costs.)Hawaii is considered a "TOD deed state," meaning that residents can utilize Transfer on Death (TOD) deeds to designate beneficiaries who will inherit their property upon their death, allowing for a potential bypass of probate court proceedings.If she is already in memory care center.

Do you own a personal residence yet?

Investment Info:Single-family residence buy & hold investment.

Investment Info:Single-family residence fix & flip investment.

I just don’t know if that supersedes Texas residency requirement and if I can enforce it in Texas.

IMO this is much too little additional return to put your personal residence at risk.  

Tenants may not occupy residence without utility service except during brief interruptions beyond your control.