@Justin PhillipContracts for deed (which what it sounds like) in Texas have significant legal quirks.

JV with another experienced investor for a few deals and gain from his insights.

Selling to buy new properties has a lot of costs involved with realtors, titles and capital gains taxes (variable depending where you live) so that should all factor into your opportunity cost ROI calculations.

to renting people that i won't rent the RE anymore in around few months from now, step 4: since loan has been fully paid, i could now legally sell the RE.

Make an income account gain/loss on sale of property and sub accounts Gross Proceeds from sale and Cost of Property Sold.

If anything, just to gain experience that goes into a full rehab so we know how to communicate what we want with future GC's.

In Job CreationCOLLEGE STATION (Real Estate Center) – The Texas economy continues to outpace the U.S. economy in job creation.According to the Real Estate Center’s latest Monthly Review of the Texas Economy, the state gained 285,200 nonagricultural jobs from February 2017 to February 2018, an annual growth rate of 2.3 percent, higher than the nation’s employment growth rate of 1.6 percent.

Does anyone have a guide or legal resource around what exactly needs to happen and when regarding security deposits in Los Angeles?

Of coarse it would go through the legal process through the attorneys.

Legally, you can't do anything because your tenant is under a lease.