where to buy rental property's in Texas. 

You only need a place to track tenant information, payment history, maintenance, etc.

Couple things to do..1.

Do I need to have them sign a new lease to raise rents.  

and planning to attend meetups while there is another great idea.  

@Jim Reynante Appleton is a good place to invest!

Talk to a lawyer.If you get in trouble with your city you won't be able to rent it out now or later.

For prospects seeking to rent many months in advance we are typically declining those and seeking to lease up as close as possible to the next available date so as to prevent potential gap periods that will be harder to lease. 

I think you are weighing the right options if you have the downpayment to enter those markets in a smart way.

Please recommend a lawyer who works with fixed fee and does not charge for every min s/he talks to you.