They may have been planning to negotiate a lower rate with you, instead of exercising their option.

Renters get scammed quite easily by providing their sensitive information or even doing things like wiring deposits, or even simply doing things that may not be a matter of exercising good judgement — but that can happen when thinking about something like a new home.

That fact alone tells me I should use this only as a learning exercise and to stay far away, but if any of you good folks would be so kind as to offer your thoughts and opinions, I would greatly appreciate it!

Thanks MelThis is just a hypothetical exercise running the numbers on a listed property as a way  to help me understand (as an newbie and outsider) how the BP tool works and how the numbers stack up. 

The financial markets and economy are in turmoil right now, so exercise caution in investing in the near future. 

He should have been a little more upfront with you about what he was doing, but if he has any kind of out in the contract it's his right to exercise it. 

You see, since every state and city in the USA has bought into this government exercise of severely changing the nation as we KNEW it, the issues are going to miss no-one!

But if my system is to exercise daily, then I increase my chances of happiness regardless of the outcome. 

For example, you can't give a holiday gift to only who you think are good tenants because one of them would post "Thanks Sam for the $25 AMC movies GC my boy friend and I saw Avengers last night xoxo" then your other tenants who didn't get a GC will feel left out.I visit my properties once a month for regular maintenance, mostly for little stuff, like changing AC filters, test smoke alarm batteries, test GFCI receptacles, pour bleach down AC condensate drain lines, exercise water supply stop valves, feel under any drains to check leakage, test water heater T&P valves, etc etc etc...they do not need to be done monthly but that's what I do at each property. 

It is pretty safe, those people are known in their communities, but you should exercise street smarts.