It should be less emotion driven and they can help you understand the market a little better. 

As a rule of thumb, if you're sitting at 70-75% cost  to value, you're in good shape.Buying properties like this should not be an emotional ride. 

Hilda, one approach that will help take the emotions out of the wayby not having to directly talk to the seller, find a good buyer's broker :)And in the meantime build a 720-800 FICO and get pre-qualified soyou're ready in case they don't want to do owner financing.IOW ALWAYS HAVE A BACK-UP PLAN in BUSINESS which is not personal...

My advice is to make sure you know what your options are regarding landlord tenant rights and create a plan and execute; sticking to a plan can help eliminate some of the emotions that can come with evicting a tenant.

Don't get pulled into attractive deals, keep your emotions aside.

.#1:  Get the emotions out of it, and keep them out, or they will find a way to get you to rationalize some solution, that isn't a solution. 

If you continue to go about the emotional route of treating your tenants, you're going to burn yourself out really fast.

I tried to address her emotional fears with numbers.

Hanging on to a property for any reason other than financial, is an emotional decision...or a bad poker move. 

I've learned a lot in my research of Texas about how hard it really is to find that great deal and how you have to keep emotions out of it!