I also put a notice in the lease saying that if they do that, they must give me a copy of the new key, and if I ever have to hire a locksmith to get in to do repairs, or whatever, they have to pay for the locksmith fees.  

thank you BenThank you JohnRegarding self-employment over a w-2 jobWhen I was just out of the Marine Corps and I had this job at Johnson Controls engineering firm because I was a science major, had a lot of calculus physics and chemistryMy job was to sell to developers and builders That wanted air and water  control devices and I was on straight commission basicallyI had like $20,000 in commissions that they  didn't pay me for I got really upset and at 25 yrs of age I didn't have very much EQ, and my emotions got the best me I basically even went to a lawyer and asked  how can I get my 20,000 in commissions here's the proof they owe me the moneyMy lawyer says it's gonna cost you 10,000 in legal fees to sue them at a minimum he's going to need that upfront as a retainerAnd then there was no guarantees I would get the 20 kThat's why I made the commitment at 25 never ever ever be a W-2 employee and I work as a 1099 alwaysThen I found a real estate 60-year-old mentor who taught me everything from distressed property to foreclosures to divorce to bankruptcy to probateI work for five hundred a week for 2 and a half years and then opened up my own business and did approximately 28 seller interviews a weekMy closing ratio in the beginning wasn't very good because I sucked at itBut with the good coaching from my teacher I got better and better and betterI quit after 2 1/2 years and started my own company on a shoestring it wasn't easyBut I made over hundred thousand dollars my first year if it wasn't for the teacher I would not know how to run a business and I would not know how to hire people and I would not know how to market and I would not know how to negotiateAnd you never stop learning because I made a Ton of money I was 29 and I made over 1 million and a quarter I rolled it back into the company which was a mistakeBut live and learn!

And for 800 bucks a year I'd rather go corp, as in Ca a RE broker can only be an S corp And that is the path I am on at the moment.Or my alternative is to run sole prop and either hire my husband as an employee or contractor.

I understand the idea is to flip a house as fast as possible but I also feel by doing the work myself without hiring it out there would be more profit after the house sells.

Do I have to hire a professional, or I just become one?

I'm curious if I should hire someone in the NYC area so we can meet face-to-face OR hire someone in Austin who is more familiar with Texas real estate law?

Just hire one, even if it becomes a sunk cost I guarantee you'll learn a ton about mold that will benefit you greatly in the future. 

We noticed how very inexpensive it is to purchase there, yet the cost of living very high.We spoke to a relative who lives over there who also rents out a place and hires a property managing firm that ensures the rent is paid and all is in good condition at a very reasonable rate.

The cost of other (non-new construction) houses in the neighborhood have no relationship to the cost you'll incur to build a new house.Your costs will be based on a lot of factors:- Location- Level/type of finishes- Style of house- Size of house- Whether you GC it yourself or hire a builder- The types of contractors you use- Your negotiating ability- How strategic you are with your designs to keep costs downI've built houses for $60/sf, and I've built similar houses in other locations with different contractors for $90/sf. 

Of course we will hire an inspector if we go to contract, but what things should I be looking out for to save our partnership the time and effort of a contract gone south should problems arise.