The shift to your background seems like the main piece, and this is common for realtors (I'm one too, but I don't do it that way), but a consumer will care less about you and more about what you can do for them.

I am a CPA whose firm works with hundreds of investors up here in Southern NJ, but I can tell you that for almost ten years in the Cy-Fair area of Houston, which it looks where you are is where we bought, held for 8/10 years and sold, two SFH's off of Highway 6, off of West Rd. in a dvelopment called Copper Something (sorry I forgot) Over 8-10 years we had a modest gain of only a few thousand, but boy did they cash flow well!

Still in the consuming of information and rules to do this properly.

And although that is a figure I'm happy with and I live modestly so that would be fine for my family, I also think about if I paid more (say 40-50K in rehab) and had it done and rented out in 30 days.  

Very modest all brick house with 1 detached garage.

I find that with myself and clients that when they invest locally, and particularly in a long term rental (or even a total rehab big project) it ends up totally consuming them when it is local.  

Let me show you the difference between a >740 and 659 FICO score:An "LLPA" is what consumers call "discount points."

All of the deals I hear about on BP seem to be on more modest properties varying from 30k to mid 100k's.

I am somewhat new to investing, although for the past while I have consumed almost every product to further my education. 

It's a long and time consuming waiting game to maybe get something.