I live about 50 minutes north of Austin, TX and have decided to invest in buy and hold single family investment properties. 

Evaluate the market situation at that time and decide whether to jump into real estate or put the saved money towards pay off.

Last you need to decide on how much you feel comfortable raising those rents.  

A short time later, I experienced some less than favorable events at work and decided I needed to figure Real Estate out.

Cops will talk to the parents, parents will talk to the kids, kids will find someone else to bother.Note: they may also decide to throw rocks at your windows.

I have studied and read numerous books on investing in stock market and am at a point as a passive investor of the market and my future as an investor is all but decided and mapped accordingly.  

So I raised the rent to market value on the 2 that I was able to and they both decided to move out. 

When you do a cost evaluation figure the worst case scenario that will help you decide. 

I would see how your disbursement of security deposit shakes out, then if you are not satisfied you may have to take them to small claims court and have a judge decide. 

But if you decide to wait for the sale and be a participant in the tax auction, some counties have online tax sales, you can wipe not only your own mortgage but also the second and any liens that your borrower may have accumulated including but not limited to IRS liens and then move into REO by Tax Sale/Sherrif Deed.