Plenty of lender resources here on BiggerPockets for both lending types

CDs, money market funds, mutual funds, bonds, TIPs, REITs, closed end funds, syndicated real estate deals, high interest private real estate loan funds,  plenty of choices.  

Thankfully it was made more than 20 years ago, so I've had plenty of time to recover :)

I would notify them (before 12/31) of a non-renewal of lease with a notice to vacate by 1/31 (you could probably evict sooner based on condition, but this gives them plenty of time and no wiggle room with the law if you notify properly).  

There are plenty of reasons the market may not...and Austin has proved to be a pretty resilient market in the past.  

They should have current experience and plenty of it2.

Although it's a strategy that's good for beginners, there are plenty of very experienced RE investors who continue to HH, because it's such a powerful strategy.2.

Still plenty of opportunity with these strategies to get 3% or better interest rates if you know how to negotiate terms and figure out how to get the seller what they want.

There are plenty of lenders out there who are doing some very creative financing and I encourage you to add that research to your list. 

Plumbing by-passes or abandoned lines; collapsing sewer lines; badly corroded supply and waste lines (both can be from inside or outside corrosion) fixtures with very hard to find components; hidden electrical junction boxes...or non-existent boxes at junctions; outdated and/or underrated distribution panels; knob and tube wiring improperly connected to, or extended with, romex; Switches wired incorrectly, breaking the neutral instead of the hot side; no, or poor grounds for improper outlets; overheated connections, outlets, switches, and light fixtures; improper wire sizes for circuits and overloaded circuits; and plenty of others...all very costly to troubleshoot, locate, and correct individually.