I am looking at taking it to the next level and have been toying around with the idea of some 4 unit apartments.

I have worked with Four Seasons on many jobs and know they are very good.I don't know all of the specifics for your house or experience level, if you are planning on fixing yourselves or through contractors.

It would be interesting to see this chart on the zip code level.

Historic levels average around 3% and we've been around 10% for a couple of years and will probably see the same again this year.

So using the same funds it is better to buy 2 entry level homes than one mid level home. 

Its not unheard of for an agent to request the buyer cover the difference between the commission stated in the MLS and what they want to get paid, however in my opinion, only agents or teams who really provide a high level of service deserve to charge extra to a buyer.  

They are done on a county level, so I would try talking to some local realtors or real estate attorneys.

(I'm not a lawyer or an expert on the many borrow protection laws in place at a federal level, so wage garnishment may even be prohibited by federal law.)

Dallas is incredibly hot, with near record low inventory levels for almost 3-years.  

All different levels of skill and knowledge.