She was told by our local power company, PPL, that our meter base needed to be upgraded, THEN they could put her meter in (there was no meter in her unit because the previous tenant moved and it has been unoccupied for a few months).

Either way, I could be wrong but I don't think marital status is a protected class, maybe is in your state or local laws, and I think familial status protection is if denial is based on not accepting someone with a child or expecting a baby. 

Talk to local banks to see what they could offer you if you were to buy an investment property.

Hi @Jordan McDonaldAs a FW local I have a large investor list that I send out to my bigger pockets investors 2-3 times a week with flips or buy and hold deals that I come across on or off market. 

Pay attention to sales price and local sales stay away from new construction or anything recently remodeled.

Hi John, I recommend reaching out to a local property manager (search on Google Maps) with many 5-star reviews to see what legal action you can take before the Sheriff is available to execute the eviction.Property managers specialize in landlord-tenant law and should be able to help you determine a path forward that doesn't require waiting 3 months after the lease ends.

Still doing my "market research" using Brandon Turner's tips from The Book on Rental Property Investing but I would love to talk to someone local about their experiences and recommendations.Thanks in advance!

I'm interested in attending. 

Additionally, getting in with a local broker helps as they can shop around for you.Umbrella insurance is pretty cheap to add on in my experience, so I think it’s worth it.

I've never seen anything else however if you're under 1M then you're in local bank territory so it would be bank by bank policy.