The bank has now put the proper on the market for $265K.

But all the times I went to court and saw other landlords get their evictions denied, the two biggest reasons were 1) not delivering proper notice and 2) accepting partial rent. 

Traditional RE, working with investors, working with new buyers, holding a proper open house.

The fact they are complaining online might be an indication the property manager dealt with them properly so be sure to ask the manager for their side of the story.I hope this basic guide helps.

He also said to be very careful how the funds (last month and security) are handled during any eviction proceedings, ie be certain to keep funds escrowed properly and not used for legal costs. 

yes I feel investing in CA just simply doesn't make sense unless I go in on a syndicate but I would like to use leverage OSS so I can scale properly.

They are underwriting properly, buying in good markets, and know how to handle a deal when it goes sideways (and it will at some point). 

It appears the bank simply winterized the house, but later the water company shut off from the outside due to an outstanding balance of 154.

However, inventory remains in incredibly tight, with only 1.5 months of inventory in Austin and 2.2 months in the greater Austin area (a balanced market is 6.5 months).Steve Crorey, 2018 president of the Austin Board of REALTORS®, said, "Historically, it’s common for some homes to be on the market for 50 days or more, even in markets with strong housing demand. 

Sell house, deposit check, take out initial deposits, split balance 50/50, close account and move on to the next one.I would also suggest if you are both physically working on the property that you agree on an hourly rate and pay it if one person works more hours than the other.