@Michael Wisotzkey - As was mentioned above, it's critical to know the market.

Account Closed, There's another component to your question that is critical. 

If something for example costs 2x as much but last 4x as long....... it would make more sense to buy the more expensive item less often...Both these are even more critical when dealing with trades/people.

Be very critical of the banks you borrow from and don’t be afraid to shop around.

We call this "back testing", and it is critical to making a great list.

This step is one of the most important and requires further explanation.Doing in-depth research on a property is critical to a successful deal.

I restate all of the critical information that I know they will be asking about (even though I put all of that same information in my ad) as well as include my rental criteria. 

I think you have a few things confused because your base understanding is fuzzy.The L/O strategy involves 3 separate contracts.  1) Lease, 2)Option to Buy, 3) Purchase agreement.Here are some critical points to follow, and are not changeable or negotiable:1)  The Lease and the Option are NEVER to refer to each other and NEVER be combined into one contract...NEVER, EVER.2)  Never, EVER give any credits from rent towards the purchase. 

How each HA calculates bedroom size is a critical component of the tenants decision, but most don’t even know that that policy can differ from HA to HA. 

I know this is where I may get some newbie criticisms for spending quite a bit of money already, and I hear that.