@John Underwood I'll need to keep researching on this one, I'll try to call the city or something. 

@John MockerThank you very much for all the detail and professional knowledge.I"m assuming that a rental home insurance - costs a bit more than primary home insurance?  

Locking purchase contracts with assignment clauses and then publicly marketing to others expecting a fee for brining buyer and seller together is brokering without a license and in many states, punishable by fines and even jail in some cases.Working in your own backyard where you know the market and know the conditions will give you an edge.

Nothing is set in stone until they lock the rate for you anyway.Shopping around helped in big ways in our situation.

Once you buy you're locked in. 

Appreciate the information and perspective @Henry Lazerow @John Warren

@John Underwood: This is awesome, thanks for taking time to pen this down.

. - i.e. digital door locks, wifi controlled thermostats, ring camera on the exterior entrance.  

@Stuart Grazier Hello, my name is John and I am an Army Veteran that just moved to the Houston Area.

So after I got smart, we went room to room, how the air vents worked with the HVAC, open and close the vents, not the temperature of the house, how to turn shower and tub off an on, adjust the water, use each appliance, including the basics of how much can fit in a washer, difference of a freezer and frig, how a vacuum works, removing dirt, how to lock windows and doors, everything!