Lynn, Lynn..the city of sin, you dont come out the way you went in.Sorry couldnt resist.

One of our clients recently used, HomeSmart Inspections and I was extremely impressed by the level of service they provided. 

Leverage the cash by safely purchasing the multifamily property/properties that will provide a return you are comfortable receiving at a risk level you can stomach.Tough question- you may also consider the FHA program: https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2012/11/08/fha-loan-multi-family-investment-strategy/

It will depend on level of finishes you.

If you two find a property together, yall both have some level of liability.

I would also include the inspection (that's huge to make sure they know you're serious about no damage to the property, beyond normal wear and tear).I put together a high level checklist on how to manage your property.

It involves adding piers in the middle of the house and jacking up the old foundation to make it level.

ER Physician sounds like I would only want to connect on a professional level thru your real estate! 

January 2016 Houston Housing StatsHouston Real Estate Highlights in January Single-family home sales declined 2.1 percent compared to January, marking the fourth consecutive monthly decline;Total property sales were unchanged at 4,965 units;Total dollar volume was statistically flat at $1.2 billion;At 262,663, the single-family home average price reached its highest level ever for a January;At $200,000, the single-family home median price also achieved a January high;Single-family homes months of inventory climbed to a 3.3-months supply versus 2.5 months a year earlier;Townhomes/condominium sales rose 15.6 percent with the average price unchanged at $183,076 and the median price up 2.4 percent to $140,000;Leases of single-family homes rose 2.8 percent with rents up 4.2 percent at $1,742;Leases of townhomes/condominiums climbed 12.2 percent with rents up fractionally to $1,568.

Currently there is a building for sale ($60,000) on our main street, which on the lower level hosts one of the towns most popular bars and on the upper level has 2 apartments that need major renovation.