Went to the Vestright website homepage... the first two testimonials from different students (Rob & Craig) are (word-for-word) identical. 

Too many headaches for cash flow on paper (which is actually negative in reality) : stolen AC unit (thieves climbed a 7 ft fence), attempted break in (alarm scared intruder away), repair issues, winter weather (make sure someone turns up the heat on a vacant property).

You also have to have a system in place to vet your guest (which Airbnb doesn't do anyway - all they do is "verify" their identity), create a lease agreement, accept deposits and payments and issue refunds of deposits.

Next month there was another property on the same block, basically identical to the first one, on the auction block.

It is part art and part science.Many of our rental properties are almost identical down to the finishes and cabinets (and in the same suburbs of Milwaukee) and I get a 10% swing on appraisals - at least 5% in either direction.

Even with identical facts.

It's not like comparing apples to apples where you can view one 4 unit building against another unless you are building identically permitted buildings on parcels that share the same site conditions.

The seller doesn't have the borrower's driver license or any identity verification paperwork.

They are likely representing the identical insurers.

Either A) the gf's mother stole her identity and impersonated her on the loan application, B) she's lying to you and is going along with it, or C) the inquiry is unrelated to the mother's loan.