Highlight the “family-friendly” perks, like extra beds, pet policies, and flexible terms.

You may be able to bypass some of those hurtles based on your country of origin/where you have friends and family but in most cases investing in the U.S. will be way easier and will yield a better ROI. 

If they have been paying on time and taking care of the place, there is no need to screen them.If they want their friend or family member to live with them, then you screen that person and decide if you want them living there. 

For my long term rentals I am no longer purchasing in New York State and I am going to be searching out of state in a more landlord friendly state such as Ohio or Pennsylvania.

Check out FilePlace, where user-created forms are available for free.

Here are a few additional ideas that have worked for me and others in competitive markets like Austin:Off-Market Leads from Contractors: I had a friend who rehabbed a house in North Austin last year.

But it's difficult for me to just hand over money to someone I've never met, when I have so many friends (and have read so many stories here) who have been ripped off by contractors.How can I protect myself?

I always suggest finding an investor friendly real estate agent as they can be your gateway to all other connections!

I’m obvi biased, but Denver is a very friendly sunny city with world class skiing, mountain biking, hiking, etc.

I always suggest some "quick wins" when I am working with new Podio user.