A city like Houston would likely swing back around in due time even if it has a crash in the energy sector because of its strong medical, education, labor, import / export shipping ports, technology, etc.So to break down Texas... you're most likely going to want to invest in the major cities.San Antonio - Best city in the state to invest in my opinion.

I'm a new investor without "Piles 'O Cash" lying around for the 20% down payment.  

You may have some luck with Angie's List, etc. but expect to pay up.I've never had to manage a contractor from afar & think it would be difficult even with the best of technology (Skype, etc.).

There shouldn't be any technology constraint here.However, I am not surprise that Propertyware won't let you do that ... their client is the property managers and it's in their incentive to not allow you to consolidate your portfolio and own any of the data.

I am not a plumbing/heating expert, but I would describe the problem and perhaps ask about a mixing valve or appropriate temperature control technologies on the supplied to the bathing and washing outlets ( faucets/showers/etc).Best of luck.

A lipstick job is going to be a lot easier to manage than underpinning a foundation.Remember if you haven't done this before (or even if you have):  things will take longer than expected, things you didn't expect ($$) will pop up, contractors may lie to you, you may not understand the market as well as you thought, etc.

Obviously you shouldn't lie ;).

(super addicted) I've done some homework and found my peak interest lying in multifamily rental properties.

My plan at the moment is when I move back I can start by getting into property management and real estate, but my biggest interest lies in investing in multi-unit homes.

It's about right a deal on a simplistic view with that metric, and yea, sounds like what I can find in Omaha as well.Problem lies in your offer strength.