@Bryan Tasumi If you are moving to Tejas from CA then I would suggest investing in a place for you to reside whilst studying in Houston.

Thank you, I greatly appreciate your time and suggestions.

Certificate of Good Standing you request from the Secretary of State.

I suggest either way to lawyer up and get some legal advice on the eviction process.Best of luck and keep us posted!

Anyone have any suggestions for someone just starting out with minimum cash on hand (less than 10K). 

@Shara Surabi  I have 2 suggestions here for you1.If you need financing in the Joint Venture/LLC name up front, then seek a "portfolio" loan.  

I close on two houses in East Point in Sept. They need moderate work and I'm looking for some verified subs or a gc.  Any good referrals or ideas where to find people.  I want to start work immediately after closing. ...

There are other groups too and I hope those organizers chime in on this thread and invite you (I'm not familiar with them since I do not attend those meetings).My suggestion is to get out and meet some people and see about mentoring with someone who has been doing it for a while in this market.  

Thanks for any suggestions.

I'll look into the suburb areas you mentioned as well as David Gonzalez's suggestion above.