(Doesn’t need to be in Dallas) Budget wise I am looking at 215k max.

What is your budget ??

Our budget is <$120k.

Make retirement priority in this order, company match, Roth, traditional until you have 15% gross income budgeted for this. 

Whats going on Osman,Your monthly marketing budget is the deciding factor here.If you have a minimal marketing budget then you are in what I like to call the HUSTLE stage.This will include you substituting what you don't have in capital with hustle and hunger.You do this by:Cold calling, Driving for Dollars, Self made bandit signs, Hand written letters, etc.The key is to take action and give this business ALL you've got.Best of luck!

Had a GC, went over budget, took over twice as long as projected, but the end result was something we could be proud of, and it sold for a much higher price than anticipated.

If we made an offer, it would be at the top of our budget (trying to avoid jumbo loan, so any increase in price or charges is straight out of our pocket) so we would have to minimize commission and fees on this one even on our end, to make the deal work.I don't wanna throw our realtor under the bus or anything, but I just don't have the experience trying to make a deal like this work, so any info is helpful. 

Looking into various options…All advisers say to start local, but looking into Maryland in Columbia seems very hot like most markets and way out of my budget right now.

I have dealt with every CAPEX project under the sun (foundation repair, roof replacement, sewer line and water line replacement, electrical overhaul, full cosmetic renovations of interior units etc.) and stuff you are not expecting or budgeting for is going to pop up. 

Overall my budget for the first property is reasonable for the likes of a condo, loft, or older townhome.