It's no guarantee but it's a good place to start.

These resources will teach you how to handle the various tenant problems you are guaranteed to face if you invest in real estate. 

Unfortunately using PS+PW guarantees you will not be at the front of he queue where you need to be, why?

It has a 90-day guarantee... seems worth a try with that in place. 

Paying more to guarantee getting the product versus jumping through hoops (short sale) or possibility of now owning it at all (auction).I'm only asking questions to understand!

Variable income is SUPER hard since covid and no real way around that beyond showing an offer letter that states you get a minimum guaranteed hours, and you may need a payroll log to prove you never went below that number. 

(Manhattan condo starts at 2M) I can guarantee 95% properties are running illegally. 

. :) A zoning change can take up to 6 months, approval isn't guaranteed (despite Aldermanic support), and potentially cost a lot of money (architectural site / floor plans & dimensioned elevations, zoning attorney, holding costs, etc.) 

No guaranteed way to stop a determined, experienced thief:(Only deterrents that push them to easier jobs.The roof may be a good idea - until they figure out the just need a ladder to get up there and a rope to lower it down. 

Hopefully that upfront diligence plus a healthy contingency budget would suffice to keep me out of that scenario, otherwise I would foresee a guaranteed loss, or underperformance at the very least.