West side has it's tough neighborhoods, but you can cash flow. also, you should brush up on the Chicago LTO to make sure u are compliant (or if renting in the city is even worth it, some guys skip Chicago all together and go into the suburbs...

Look up their phone and addresses on the free skip trace sites.Keep calling everyone associated to them until you get through.Its a numbers game but picking up the phone is not as hard as you might think once you get the ball rolling.Good Luck

Maria,If they are charging more than $200 I would skip using them.

@Carl Edwards   Hi there, just a hop, skip and jump from you.  

Then out of the blue we are told our house is flooded because the tenant skipped out and the pipe burst. 

NOO probate either tax delinquent or preforclosure.I’d be at the public records office or courthouse or if it’s available online I’d be at Starbucks Then I’d go meet with them, I’d skip trace or send a white letter then show up on a Saturday between 12-4pm

However, if they are on the fence deciding, I will be able to clue them in that some investors do decide to skip inspections at their own risk if the deal looks good enough.I definitely think there was a bullet dodged here somehow somewhere. 

I've got a purchase agreement all filled out, I just need to call my termite inspector to come over, and he can be here in 30 minutes or so and we can wrap this up.Him: Uh, how about I make it $26,000 and you skip the termite inspection?

Vet them properly, don't skip over that -- this was my big mistake. 

If you determine the risk is low it may be ok to skip.