If the goal is to become a full-time flipper/contractor, then doing tighter jobs can help build momentum for a business, that will pay dividends well beyond just the specific house, itself.  

But if you can find the property which can qualify as rural, then you can finance.As an example, farm labor housing is multifamily and there are specific programs inside the USDA portfolio which target those types of properties.

Be detailed—track start and end times to clearly show your involvement.Task Descriptions – Be specific about what you did.

If I have specific questions about a transaction I’m doing or something like that, I just ask via email or phone call.

The quality of tenants could be an issue.   

This depends on many things specific to each investor. 

And for networking events with agents  - Under the Forums tab, there's an Events & Meetups section where you can submit Houston or your specific zipcode and find some.

I would also add that you join your local REIA chapter (Real Estate Investor Association) as it will allow you to network with other STR owners and get more location-specific information. 

It will be pierced if you don't take care of issues pronto.

Quote from @Aj Green: Quote from @Gregory Wilson: The real issue is how much of a deposit do you have to try to get back from them.Sure, your contingency might work but I assume you gave the deposit to the seller.