I'm quite surprised that the welcome wagon hasn't rolled out to greet you yet.

You might consider stating a credit score.I'm surprised to hear of this disclosure in Texas, but the idiot lawmakers didn't think this through very well.

I know that we need to look at obvious needs for repair, get both income and expense statements, copies of leases, etc. and that we should have a professional inspector to uncover any potential surprises, but before even all that, is there anything in particular that you are looking for that you consider immediate red flags when you assess your investment options?

Unfortunately without utilities on, many surprises can arise.

It's a bit surprising how far your budget will or will not go depending on what areas you are looking at. 

New to real estate investing through unexpected scenario.  

EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!

However, I'd be surprised if you weren't able to make house hacking a duplex work numbers-wise in medium-sized markets and larger, especially if you are willing to set up the vacant side as an STR in a travel market with reasonable STR regulations.

The experience has been great: very smooth and straightforward with no surprises.

I've been searching through furnished finder to get an idea of MTR rates, and I was surprised to see just how many listings were available throughout the city.