Between the 20k and the money I know I will put in to renovate the house it feels a bit overwhelming.

Good thing you can make tons of small tweaks to your kitchen to improve the overall aesthetic without having to spend thousands.

What's the best way to get involve in it to get some experience without burning much money? 

@Mohit Arora recommend you spend more time studying TX landlord-tenant statutes.Your lease is probably pretty basic as it didn't really cover this issue - and it probably doesn't really cover a whole lot more.Google & download as many TX leases you can find to copy & paste to improve yours.

No skin (money, time, skills) in the game can lead to a disaster; lose property, cost you money, start over. 

I really wish I looked into him more before spending this kind of money.

But if you have a little money to invest, then skip-tracing and contacting property owners is another method. 

Good PM's can be hard to find but the right one is always worth the money because you avoid headaches and your property will usually perform better than when it's self managed by someone without experience.Hope this helps!

Creative deals are negotiated by educated investors.You can make more money from knowledge vs having ones own cash. 

Bad foundations were my money-makers.