Next I found a starter townhome with forced appreciation potential (finish the basement to add another bed and bath), and using the downpayment assistance, I was able to afford my first property.

Some tenants will stay rather than risk buying that starter home.

Especially if this is a starter home I would personally look at the trade off of adding time to my commute for a couple years in order to get the best possible property.Ultimately, it is the combination of factors that will determine what is the best choice for you personally. 

You might try HSBC, TD Bank and Navy Federal for starters.

I just never had the starter cash. 

Hi,
New to this board so first, thanks for having such a forum.
I'm not young anymore, and would like to enter the rental property market.
I have about $200,000 to invest. This is not my only savings, so this can go ...

For example, if they were to publicly state that Texas was a non-starter because of a discriminatory environment, it might send ripples throughout a state that prides itself on being business-friendly. 

Anyway, I want to rent out my current starter home & rehab a house while living in it.

Many of the starter 2-4 properties are not in the greatest of areas, and can prove to be more costly in the long run. 

Once upon a time a lot of houses were built as starter homes and today most people are looking for 3/1 and 3/2.