It's crucial to understand the extent of structural and electrical damage, as well as any potential hazards like smoke or mold.

There's currently a tenant in the house (who I presume caused the smoke damage), but the seller promises that this tenant will be gone before closing.

Tenants must receive; signed Certificate of Rental Suitability no more than 60 days before move-in, Partners in Good Housing Pamphlet, Lead Free/Safe Cert (if built before 1978), smoking policy for multi-unit properties, Bed Bug notice as you describe above.For Pennsylvania: It's also best practice for property owners to include a lease provision that waives the Notice to Quit requirement of the PA Landlord Tenant Act.

Always meet in person:  This will give you a good idea of the person, if they're smoking a cigarette while talking to you, or being very negative about their previous landlord make sure you make note of that.4.)

Inspect appliances for age and condition,and look over the flooring for any damage.For tenant considerations, evaluate the unit layout for functionality and storage, and check for safety features like smoke detectors and secure locks.

Thought I would pass it along.The Myth of Cash Flow Not sure what Andrew is smoking, but I can give you a real world example in NJ (NYC suburb - I don't know too much about MO, but I can use NJ since we just purchased another three family.Price 700,000Taxes - $11k (rounded)Insurance - $1700.00 (rounded)Water - $100.00 (rounded)Common Electric - $50.00 (rounded)We can use his 7% with 20% down.Payments - $4,930.68Apt 1 - 2 bedroom - $2,000.00Apt 2 - 2 bedroom - $2,050.00Apt 3 - 1 bedroom - $1,800.00Total income -       $5,850.00Total expenses -     -$4,930.68==========================NET                         $1,019.32 x 12 = $12,231.84The cashflow "myth" is bullsh!

A contractor who promises all 3 (cheap, good quality and fast) will either be out of business or is simply blowing smoke.

Or, are you saying you want someone else to do all the work then white glove deliver it on a silver platter? 

Quote from @Damon Silver: We have a 4/2 attached duplex up and running in an Oregon college town. 

I do feel like anyone serious enough will just take the two minutes to answer the seven questions, which basically just establish if they meet the minimum requirements (3x the income, Credit Score, No Pets/Smoking, etc).