Longer version - I have applicants, interested tenants, new tenants ask for additions from time to time. 

Lots of well known books that have been out for years have audio versions on YouTube.

Your great loan officer is going to tell you all kinds of things like where your credit score needs to be....how much down payment you need if any, how much closing costs you will need if any, what your interest rate will be, what your payment might be, what your buying power is....all those important things about buying.#4...Either way you are buying a place....you're either buying it for yourself or you're buying it for your landlord.#5 As most of the others have said...if you can get roommates 2-3-4 to help you pay for the house....that's awesome and even if you just do this 2-3-4 years...it can help start you down the path to financial success.I saw a pretty good VA foreclosure last week that might be a good option for you...4bed 2bath near JRB Carswell.Welcome to Texas and best wishes on your success here and getting started.

As a realtor when I am screening potential tenants for landlords, I have them provide a full copy of there credit score from all three companies, a letter from their employer stating how long they haven worked there, 2 most recent pay stubs, cover page of last three months bank statements to make sure they have some money saved. 

I do my own version of "wholesaling", but I actually close on the property, then list it for sale in the MLS.  

I use the free version and it is absolutely fantastic. 

Thanks for the link @Chris T. the 3 times income to rent rate and clean credit score may help... i think more so in the more expensive markets, but in lower income housing... i think you'll be hard pressed to find an applicant with clean credit or income that can back your justification on denying the ex-con..?  

They call and leave a voicemail, i get the transcribed version in an email and if its an emergency i text them back with a solution.

I have downloaded the free version of InvestorFuse and its pretty nice, albeit still pretty manual.

The lease terminates and the $1400 security deposit is dealt with like any other rental.There's more to it, of course, but this is the dummy's version.