If you're lucky enough to have a local builder with experience building passive houses, you may be able to build a house which requires almost zero supplementary heating and cooling, and it will have lower water bills as well.

Then I read reviews saying to expect half of that when it's really cold, which still may be okay, or maybe not. 

You will always have a mortgage payment eventually, pay interest, insurance, water/sewer, save for your reserves such as vacancies, cap ex, and repairs, and of course, can't forget property management if you are not planning to manage them yourself.

Im itching to start cold calling and I just want to know where are investors getting their cold calling leads from or what other techniques are you using.

A couple things to consider:The infrastructure was designed to support a specific development (number of parcels, certain square footage and/or water consumption). 

Kids are unbelievably disorganized and trying to get them to do everything they need to do to have cable, water, electricity and pay YOU on time is asking a lot!

Is it still being done by direct mail, bandit signs, cold calling to get the phone ringing with possible seals?

me personally I would never buy a park on private sewer and water.. again personally I would not do this. too much risk.

You have many options.I don't know what rental prices are in Houston, but I have very many friends and previous buyers who have paid $1,200 a month for 800sqft-900sqft units (with water being the only utility paid for).I recommend West Gate area.

And its not really the snow that causes problems its the water from the snow melting and ice from that snow melt then re-freezing that is the biggest issue.