A baseline goal would be to secure strong passive-ish income within 10-15 years from now, and build the capacity for wealth in 30+ years (knock wood...to 50 years?

This is the one that usually knocks them out. 

I don to know the specifics, because knock on wood it hasn’t happened in any of our properties, but in Texas there are some rights granted for a tenant to break a lease due to domestic abuse.

As @Sarah Nowak said, driving for dollars is a good start; or get a foreclosure list and try knocking on a few doors. 

Plumbing, I know is going to be knocking on my door in a few years time so planning and prepping for this :)

Plus if your lender attempts to knock down the property value you have a legitimate proof otherwise.Here is another tip, getting a bridge or hard money financing from a lender in the area where your property also helps you get to an after repair value more in line with that local market.

It's all about the strategies and processes of being a landlord and getting things into order, it seems like it would help you knock out some of those tasks and tells you very smart ways to go about them. 

While out knocking on some doors, I randomly found a house that just so happens to be in pre-foreclosure status (about a month out from being auctioned off).

If you want to make the kitchen bigger - is it possible, and worth it - to knock out a wall and put in an island?

You just have to be prepared to answer if the IRS comes knocking, that's all.