The one thing I started doing two years ago is stocking the fridge with bottled water, the freezer with two pizzas, a custom pizza cutter with my contact information on it and a roll of paper towels.

I just though of that as a quick (ok, and fun) drywall cutter.

New construction developers have also been hit hard because their shiny cookie-cutter homes have been overpriced for a long while and this is the first time in a few years that they aren't selling.

Here is the link.http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/northern-california-real-estate-investor-indicted-bid-rigging-and-fraud-conspiracies-public

Adequate parking and proximity to public transportation stops.Current # of years tenants in place in our properties: 26 - 22 - 13 - 13 - 11 - 7 - 7 - 6 - 5 - 2 - 2 - 1/2 - 1/2 - 1/2 - 0 (vacant).Some characteristics of our longer term tenants: retiree, disability, felony in the distant past, limited English skills, bus rider, semi-truck driver with need to park the rig, section 8, low income.

Much less risk with cookie cutter situations.

Many times landlords rig apartments to pass inspection and then let repair items go all year long while getting the payment before fixing again for annual re-inspection.So if the tenant is month to month it is critical that you look at the apartments to see what work would be needed.The inspectors are very picky and you will get abated where section 8 will not pay you rent until the items are fixed.Many items wouldn't be fixed in a regular unit but section 8 list everything.

In looking for builders, I found a guy who is looking to break away from his previous cookie cutter builds with a couple big home building companies and go on his own to build customs and multifamilies for investors.  

It's a "chain" cutter, or if you're subject to puking when you get a whiff of what comes out call a plumber!

If the property is in a "cookie cutter" community you can use the recent sales of similar homes in the neighborhood.