Being from the area, i feel as though i am hyper-sensitive to over-paying and may wrongly dismiss a few deals becuase of my familiarity with how things "used to be." 

I'd think the buyer is now responsible for liens on the property - like Sewer , HOA, Property Taxes etc.Am I wrong?

well my advice is there is nothing wrong with investing in a state you have no ties to depending on the deal and you can always find a management company to over see project , rent collection , and dealing with contractors.

, ... even verbally sparring with the occasional challenger is all social exercise for me.I still say the wrong thing quite often, or say something folks don't understand.

You can never justify doing the wrong thing regardless of your intentions. 

I was thinking the lender would look at it as a rental the way it is zoned right now but I guess I'm wrong on that.  

Rushing into the wrong deal can kill your career in this game.

Nothing wrong with investing in Texas, for Texans.

I could be wrong but that is always what I have used for expense estimates.

I work very hard and will not do others wrong.