However, I'm now reading Dave Meyer's book Start With Strategy to learn more about whether long-term residential rentals is even the best approach or if I should be looking into other strategies, in light of my overall goal.After Start With Strategy I plan to read Set For Life by Scott Trench, but what other recommendations do you guys have at the strategic level?

Add a very diversified economy here with banking, insurance, oil and gas, education, three medical schools, 3 law schools, life sciences, DFW airport, and so much more, it looks like the growth just goes on and on.As far as appreciation goes, that's always tough to predict. 

It’s awesome to see your excitement @Joe —this journey can truly be life-changing.As someone who started out while serving in the military, here’s some advice I wish I had early on: take action, even if it’s small.

To add-on to what @Russell Brazil detailed, there is some important life changes that can fast-track things. 

I am all for taking risks in life, but we also have a 1 year old son now and I don't want to jeopardize the life we've built so far.

It has been a life changing experience.

Balance what you are learning through KW on how to be an agent and in the real estate class (much better basis for investors in real life than agents) with going to real estate investor meetups in your area.

I've lived here my whole life and know the area and market very well.

In a dream world - the comprehensive solution does all this: *task management and sequencing where you can drop a property into a sequence ie day 1 call, day 2 mailer (have it automatically mail out something like a postcard) day 3 etc etc etc*project management outside of the outreach sequences for what's next in the process ie schedule inspection, send the contract, etc etc*ability to have multiple users drive around and if you see a property you can tag an address and add it into a marketing sequence, and also track the streets you've hit so you're not wasting time driving by the same houses more than once *dialer (ability to parallel dial numerous numbers simultaneously to make cold calling more efficient - Ive used tools like orum and kixie in other industries, and when you receive a pickup, the other calls are dropped) *skip tracing/data provider *website landing page for converting online visitors to leads*electronic signature/docusign*secondary branded landing site on different URL for blasts for deal disposition to your buyer listWhat am I missing? 

A scope is especially important on properties where the sewer line would be particularly expensive to replace (for instance, if the sewer line replacement would require breaking up and re-pouring a driveway, or removing numerous mature trees--these things can cost significantly more money above and beyond the cost of replacing the sewer line).