sounds like the one with no real equity is really an owner occ type house .. just sell it .. you wont have any tax or very little.the other one you can do the 1031 on and probably makes sense.just be cautious though grass is not always greener.. 

My lawyer is cautious and wants it all go directly to seller then can pay her for the “services “.Has anyone heard of anything like this?

If you contact the landlord, be cautious as they may care less due to cash flow. 

I think it's more so a matter of what neighborhoods within these cities to be cautious of.

Same is probably true everywhere to some extent, but I'd bet in rural Texas such thinking would be significant, you can be dealing as an outsider.Lenders will have a lending area, like 30 miles from any branch, you may have the same lender represented all over the state making things slightly easier but that loan officer, that loan committee is from there, expect them to be cautious in dealing off the bat.Biggest thing that keeps me rather local is that I can reach out and touch my deals, I don't rely on others and probably couldn't find anyone with the expertise I'd demand without really cutting them in for more than they would be worth to me, so I just don't.Just some considerations. :)

aligns with your current financial plans but I would be very cautious about this. 

I was attempting to be cautious in indicating I'm not in this niche (flipping and utilizing HM) and am sharing 2nd hand observations.  

I would say be cautious and ask an agent in the area what they think it could be rented out for.

I'm considering another offer closer to $200k ($210k max, but I feel that may be a bit high).I like the deal and I like the area (my kid plays soccer at a field within walking distance from the property), but this being my first recent deal, I just wanted to make sure I don't have "must buy something now syndrome", but also not being too cautious.

I find that in general, Zestimates are usually within about +/- 30% of the actual numbers so it may be held as a general guideline for *about* how much a house may be worth or rent for, but take it with a grain of salt for sure.Oak Park is in a good spot right now in terms of appreciation for the area, but I personally tend to be cautious about assuming any more than 3% annual appreciation. 3% has been the overall average appreciation across many decades, and any appreciation that ends up above and beyond what I assume is icing on the cake.