It's also important to note that home ownership is currently at 20 year lows in the U.S. and eventually all of the pent up demand from the Millenial generation will boil over and cause another upswing in the single family market. 

Pent-up demand led to a brief surge to 62 starts in 2010, but that quickly subsided.

That to me indicates a huge level of unsatisfied pent-up demand. 

You can charge pent rent or a non-refundable deposit for pets so that way if there is damage you would have extra cash - up to you!

You can ask for a pet fee (or pent rent) each month if that eases your mind. 

With people in survival mode for 3 or so years I think there will be a lot of pent-up demand for everything...including workers.Time will tell I guess.

About 80% of them in my state are in crap areas (war zones).The other 20% are the ones everyone is trying to buy in much better areas with the same or better rents and lower taxes.With any great deal everyone is looking for the needle in the haystack.I personally do not like these investments because of the intensive time they take and you get one bad tenant and cash flow is shot for the year.Also many of these homes are much older in age with deferred maintenance meaning huge bills down the road.The huge repairs would outpace any appreciation and rent increases in a bunch of cases.In my area jobs are more transient these days.Houses are harder to qualify for with the mortgage process.People do not want to buy a property when they see values going down and a bunch of HOA fees and maintenance bills.They would rather stay in an apartment complex where everything is done for them and can move in a quick changing market and stay fluid.Not all markets are like this and people are still buying homes here but not in droves.I think banks are expecting a fever pitch of buying this summers from home buyers.If that doesn't happen the banks won't feel as confident with the pent up inventory they will still need to liquidate.

“I’ve never seen so much pent-up demandâ€â€œWhy the demand?

The problem for investors is there is still a pent up demand from retail/owner occupants that it makes it difficult to buy anything through an agent at an 'investor price' even if the property needs some work.

We have several years of pent-up demand from this gnarly recession and banks will eventually start to come out of their shell and lend money again.