It's fantastic to see that you have set your ideal goals!

@Devin Peterson why would he only be limited to a debt service coverage loan if he could take out a conventional loan as an investment? 

You may want to see if the limit for the Building increased or if it is just a straight rate increase. 

You have to read a set pf plans to answer the questions, etc....And if/when you pass, you'll have at least 5 years of paying dues and losing money before you're any good.

While that one cash-flows better, it doesn't have any sort of yard and the privacy is limited since it's surrounded by multi-family properties.

Here are a few I recommend: "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Roberto Kiyosaki; "Set for Life" by Scott Trench; "The Unofficial Guide to Real Estate Investing" by Spencer; "The BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginners Guide" found here on BP; "The Book on Rental Property Investing" by Brandon Tuner.

and would ideally like to set my sights higher so that within 10 years my husband can leave his teaching job and work with me in managing our properties.

You have perimeters that you set in place with your rental/lease agreement.

While this is limited to non judicial foreclosures, its still a concern.

I am seeing about 20k per an acre is average in the area but am finding it is more difficult to find unrestricted land with utilities set up that are still under/around 300k.