I'm trying to start off with something closer to Houston as my first property, but will keep College station in mind for the future. 

Once you've identified what's important and what ratios to look for to evaluate a property, all future deals should be weighted against those "good" ratios/numbers - and periodically adjust to suit your goals.

With the idea you get your 6k back when fund deal/deals  MLM all the way sell the futures and the deals that Cogo did pay me off on as you stated took forever to fund and the rates were even higher than mine :)  Its just a very good Guru selling his stuff we all know they make the money selling the 6k how to become a lender. :)  

I've consistently written about the forces of nature and her current and future effects on the real estate market (even while often being ridiculed and politicized on this very site for it) regardless: I personally moved and invested in coastal Oregon in 2018 from Venice Beach Los Angeles partly as a result of the trajectory of climate and have assisted several clients that specifically purchased on the Oregon Coast for their own 'climate havens,' investment and future retirement homes. 

Having a vision for future projects like the ones you mentioned are great, but learning the ABCs of RE with a small investment (initial down payment - since you only need 3.5%-5% down on a primary) is the best way to sharpen your skills.

You're in Texas, which other people have commented is a gold mine.

.: Hi all,I have to move back to Los Angeles in the near future and I’m interested in purchasing something I can add value to and exit within a few years.

There is no additional "risk" on the note like a demand clause etc, but you have  extra expense in upfront one time costs and the pre-payment penalty that most programs are sold with if rates do drop as expected in the future.  

You may want to find out what you can legally add to a future lease.

Flood insurance is expensive and will be more expensive in the future, as they try to raise premiums to cover the claims.