As for your out-of-pocket costs, it really depends on the property and your specific situation, but budgeting around 5-10% of the purchase price for these extras is a good starting point.

I have a specific dollar amount that I keep in there for ordinary repairs, emergencies, or capex.

Specifically, there's job growth (Intel, Honda, Amazon, Nationwide, etc) and the population is growing (unlike Cleveland or Cincy).

Would like to get honest opinions on where I should get myself looking- as specific as possible as far as towns. 

The strictly legal answer is that you must apply your criteria evenly to avoid accusations of discrimination (i am not a lawyer).The most important part of this is applying criteria when you offer a specific property at a specific time.

This is actually an interesting view, and admittedly I know nothing about this specific industry.

More specifically, Garland, Rockwall, and Waxahachie.

Another twist to mitigate would be to build one of your homes specifically to use as a model home. 

They are elementary at best and NOT tailored to the clients’ specific needs or interests which should have been conveyed to us at the beginning.

That, or do medium or short term rentals (neighborhood and condition specific though, doesn't work for every property).