I suggest educating yourself in the different Houston submarkets and target the ones that fit your investment criteria.  

I have a passion for real estate investing, and i am in the educational phase looking to start purchasing property in the near future.

Check the Get Rich Education Podcast, there is a lender that frequents the show named "Chalee" something (that is 100% spelled incorrectly). 

After screening your team to ensure they have your best interests at heart, THEN leverage their local knowledge to guide you about the area, what is rentable, where the growth is, etc.

Educate with Podcasts, Books, Webinars, absorb as much information as you can and focus on a specific niche.

Websites, Blogs, Social Media, etc.I am new to real estate and just starting out our real estate investing education.

Are there any questions one could ask that could at least give one enough of a feel for the condition of the property to be able to make an educated guess, make the offer, and then adjust from there if necessary after I DO pay a professional to inspect the property?

Then spend some time educating yourself prior to making any decisions!

Your question should be, How do I add value to a multifamily investor so that he teaches me how to invest.Your first step should be to invest in your education and begin to devour podcasts and booksGino

I've got a list of 10 banks im calling today to try to get a line of credit on a leveraged rental property!