The area offers higher-end flips but comes with a higher buy-in cost.

San Antonio is known for its relatively lower cost of living compared to many other major cities in Texas.

Single family homes have the benefit of the tenant paying all utilities, taking care of all landscaping/snow, and lower cost replacement when things go wrong (a roof on a single family home is a lot less then on a large multi).

With rents falling in many areas, and with the cost to buy going up in relation to higher interest rates, this strategy is becoming harder and harder to implement.

I have implemented a system where I call people 45 minutes before they are scheduled to come view a unit.

I would ask the lender you applied with to disclose how they calculated your DTI... sometimes they fail to add back in depreciation or deduct costs from your schedule E like tenant turnover, improvements, etc. that shouldn't be included in the DTI calculation. 

“She will get a cut of the profits once they fix the home.”

I've seen a lot of Allstate rental properties with ACV or market value coverage rather than Replacement cost and other tricks to reduce coverage levels.  

Rising insurance costs are probably the number one driver right now of our overall expenses.

If it’s a safety issue, I’ll of course make sure the premises are as safe as they were before any required maintenance was done, but she is now suggesting that if I don’t reimburse her for those specific anchors, I am violating fair housing laws for familial status and/or tenants rights regarding not incurring costs for required repairs.