When you select the next tenant I would certainly ensure that you have your eyes on the applications that are coming in, and ask that you are involved in the decision making process. 3x income, clean credit and background checks should be a minimum for approval, even if it takes a month or so to find someone. 

I just don't like it when state starts to "worry" about adults making conscious decisions in their own lives.

Here is a partial copy of rental board decision.

This turned out to be a great decision for us and our investors, because a few months after the buyout was complete we sold the property for a massive gain, and our investors received profits that would otherwise have been allocated to the institutional LP had they still been in the deal.For these reasons but not only these reasons we choose to raise capital from our base of HNW investors. 

You are their landlord.Make all of your decisions based on solid market driven metrics.   

So, you may want to look at what that will add up to as you make decisions because covering the mortgage is very different than "breaking even".  

Therefore, choosing the right investment city is the most critical decision you'll make.Critical factors for an investment city that will enable financial freedom:Cities with a population >1M: Start with cities with a metro population greater than 1M**.** Small towns may rely too much on a single business or market segment.

A blueprint is good, but when you say "Goal is to try for 8-10 Properties and try to leave my W-2 in 3-5 years" that often makes people rush to achieve the door count and in doing so, bad decisions are made.If you think more holistically about your journey, you will stress less.

An agent can provide information and guidance…an investor is still in charge of making the decision to buy or not.

You trust that you made the right decision.