So using the same funds it is better to buy 2 entry level homes than one mid level home. 

Its not unheard of for an agent to request the buyer cover the difference between the commission stated in the MLS and what they want to get paid, however in my opinion, only agents or teams who really provide a high level of service deserve to charge extra to a buyer.  

They are done on a county level, so I would try talking to some local realtors or real estate attorneys.

(I'm not a lawyer or an expert on the many borrow protection laws in place at a federal level, so wage garnishment may even be prohibited by federal law.)

Dallas is incredibly hot, with near record low inventory levels for almost 3-years.  

All different levels of skill and knowledge.

Google has been cracking down on duplicate content since February 2011: http://searchengineland.com/google-forecloses-on-c...From the 2011 article:"We’re evaluating multiple changes that should help drive spam levels even lower, including one change that primarily affects sites that copy others’ content and sites with low levels of original content.

With a good pool of renters in the area, rents have increased in the last couple years but are now leveling out.  

The biggest problem with this business is that no one wants to operate it on a professional business level.

The only way to avoid losing your money is 1. not invest it, or 2. only invest it from dealing in a good entrepreneurial manner, eliminating and managing risks to an acceptable level.