helloi'm also learning in this area but i know warm market is a source of private lenders.I havent heard of REI meetups in my area (Zimbabwe) but possibly next door in South Africa.Asking for referrals, from acquaintances also may connect us with likely sources of private moneyI've been thinking the owner of the property may be a source of money to facilitate the deal closing (seller financing at low interest rates), right?

It is very hard to source this type from MLS.

@Colleen F.We plan on shifting the heat when the lease comes up for renewal each unit has its own heat source.

Patrick,I don't have any experience in the Texas market outside of tax liens so I would not be a good source for you for what you are looking at, unfortunately.

Once you have the owners name a good free source for contact information is https://www.truepeoplesearch.c.... 

@Adam  Oldhan Still looking for a source where I can see permits on a property before I order an inspector ...

I'd recommend checking out the BiggerPockets Bookstore and checking out the book on investing with little or no money down.Your options will be limited with no capital or credit so I'd also focus on saving $, additional income sources and building your credit.This is a marathon, not a sprint so do not get discouraged if it takes time to narrow your focus down to a specific location, investment strategy or property type. 

Recently, I read the biography Snowball on Warren Buffet.There are many unique attributes that have made Warren Buffet one of the greatest investors of all time: his ability to ignore criticism, his long-term focus, his remarkable ability to devour his way through volumes of books without distraction, his detachment from emotion for investing, his tremendous frugality, and much more.Buffet does have something we can all replicate.

Usual is 3x rent, sometimes you see 2.5X rent.Your idea on deposit besides being illegal would be very bad for your units as there would be little justification in them taking care of the unit.Items that we list as mandatory to qualify for our units: No evictions (ever), Verifiable income 3x rent from sources that are at least present for 6 months, Cannot have been in more than 2 residences in previous 5 years, no missed rent payment on credit report, good credit, non smoking/no drugs, about 75% of our units do not allow dogs or cats, strong LL recommendations. 

I've gotten advice from multiple sources, each saying their own pros and cons.