But with the sharp decline in mortgage rates since May, the moribund housing market is showing signs of life.Confidence rising; competition falling.

For our clients, we separate repairs into catergories: 1) Health & Saftey - highest priority to avoid lawsuits2) Property Preservation - don't want a $500 water leak repair to become a $5k repair later3) Government Required - for city & S8 inspections4) Marketing Negative Impact - who wants to rent a "purple" house?

Have her drop off the cheque at a set location and time halfway between where you live and the rental (or her work) or go by the house to pick it up. 

If not, consider adding on-site amenities that make your rental a attraction in itself, so guests don't have to leave to find the fun!

I may be biased as we manage our construction and portfolio in house. 

i was exploring and saw some of the neighborhoods in kyle, Tx has school ratings like 8 and brand new houses in the range of 300K with potential rents at $2200 per month so overall making them cash flow positive. however, i am not sure why Kyle is a popular place. it is mid way between austin and san antonio but that does not seem to be a strong enough reason. 

So I would definitely lean toward BRRRR between the two options although BRRRR is difficult in this market.For the large majority of those starting out, I recommend house hacking although I don't know if that would work for you in your situation.

(these numbers are just furnishing & setup costs, they exclude house purchase & closing costs)

My plan was to put down 35% while she would cover the remaining 65%.However, the seller has requested to be in escrow for 45-60 days so that he can complete a 1031 exchange and use the proceeds to buy another house within that period.

I plan on installing some form of termite protection after purchasing anyway, but is there anyway to make sure I'm not buying a house with a full blown infestation that could become a bigger issue?