Now, if you listen carefully you will find that he too found some of the same things that others mentioned...no deals in Austin, prices were too high...but then he adjusted his approach and nailed it!

-- We focus on verifying 2-year work history and verifying rent payments with last 2 landlords (unless in same property for 5+ years).3) MoveIn Specials: be careful with offering "free rent" as will just attract tenants with no cash.-- Try free TV or something else worth 25-50% of one month of rent.-- Or, what we do is offer the free rent AFTER & ONLY if they pay their first 3 months of rent on time to earn it.4) Lower the rent 5% every 2-4 weeks until activity picks up.5) Understand this is the worst time of year to find tenants.-- Starts picking back up end of February when this tenant pool starts getting their income tax refunds and aren't broke anymore.6) Section 8: where is the property being advertised?

At another property with just the sidewalk I let the tenants take care of it, but the liability of these steep stairs makes it too important for it to be haphazard or me having to scold them to shovel and salt the walk and steps.I know in snowy areas people with houses contract plowing for the winter at a flat rate.

But be careful with your trial.

Makes me think they could be too busy taking care of a new baby to attend to guest issues? 

Because based on those answers, you can just get a conventional loan. 

Tax free money is huge.I may have 100k of instant equity so I don't care about about tax write offs.

It is a perfectly good fridge, tenants don't care.

Scares the gang members off every time.Never cared for ARs because they are based on M-16s and M-16A1s.

this means that these owners are under much less pressure to sell, and so they don't really care that their price won't let the property be a good rental.