Will insurance be (materially) higher for one of the main foundation types in North Texas: slab vs. pier & beam?

Fortunately you are in the right place, BP offers great education materials.

I can 1031 exchange up.Just wondering if there's any tax benefit to the seller of a high value property to take a low value package as a part of the deal.

A local bank with small asset generate the loan in house, which means they are not package to sell to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.  

Right now I'm at 50/50 with profit sharing on each sale going to his brother who is a project manager by trade with built in contingencies on time for completion and material overages.

Just emphasize that because you are landlord yourself, you treat the relationship how you would expect/hope of your tenants by paying on time, not calling the landlord for little stuff, treating the unit and other tenants with respect, etc..ALSO, have a great "rental package."

5-10k if you buy the materials and do it yourself otherwise multiply that number by a factor between 3 and 10

Repairs done by Landlordwill be billed by the job or as labor plus materials."

Create some basic marketing materials that explain who you are and the services you provide.

@Shannon Glanton, I certainly have a different background than many here, but the real estate license material (and exam for that matter) provided little to no help in my investing.