Simply put dollars on a Wal-Mart card can get mixed in with general purchases that would be routinely made, while dollars on a Toys R Us card have a specific pleasurable and fun association.

Don't do it so you cash flow, do it because if you are both living there, you both should be contributing to the expenses.If you are serious about the relationship and see it going somewhere as uncomfortable as it may be, better to sit down now and talk about finances.

Do not be afraid to have the uncomfortable conversations with them on what you both deem as acceptable.

Any routine maintenance under that amount should be covered by the tenant. 

Found a doozy on a routine inspection recently - I lost track at 24 cats 😕 - this tenant has been spiraling for a bit, but needless to say will be gone quickly.

I followed up on a few of the earlier ones and they made me kind of uncomfortable, as they would not subject themselves to any sort of screening processes, wanted to do business outside the platforms, etc.However, I am continuing to get more of these- and i am thinking that maybe just because these people are not native speakers (chinese i believe they mostly are) that maybe I am just misunderstanding them and/or miscomunicating andd it is possible they are legit?

As Managers, we have the discretion to make all decisions for routine daily operations.

Some lessons learned:- Always make an offer- Always do your homework on the house AND the seller- If you're not slightly uncomfortable making your offer, you're offering too much- Knowing how to elicit information and negotiate is how you turn leads into deals.

@Mike Cumbie I have established a routine for myself, every I go on the MLS (realtor.com,trulia, zillow, redfin) pick a few properties for analysis, go to the town assesors site to check on taxes, using google map to look at neighborhood etc. once I find something that meets my criteria I send it to my realtor to make an offer. 

The information you need to do this on your own is at your fingertips online; it just depends on whether you are willing to get a little uncomfortable in exchange for the discount on the property.