I hate to see people that are learning get mislead into thinking the 2% rule is some magical rule that investors hold fast to, it's not.  

I'm looking to make my first purchase now that I'm working full time after completing school.

I am 16 years old and currently in high school.

I see good school districts as a strong marketing point. 

There's no magic way to track expenses-- use excel.

That being said I have a full time job and have a wife that is looking forward to painting and picking out fixtures and such when the kids go back to school in the next couple weeks.I had a GC give me an estimate on a potential property and the price came out to around $30k that includes roof, entire HVAC, bathroom, kitchen, flooring, drywall and paint.

State government, which will never go away; hospital hub; education hub, with the state university schools there; and the new nano tech hub nearby.  

If you are not aimed at families either school kids you are much better off.

I have some money to invest but I don't qualify for a loan due to a spotty work record because I went back to school.  

With A&M and Blinn here, we always have a huge demand for rentals during the "regular" school year.