They will be able to tell you about testing, levels of output, etc.  

Owner financing will probably not work in this case, from what you have said they don't seem very motivated, they seem to be testing the waters to see what they can get. 

Discipline is the key and at this point you need to test yourself for a couple of years before you jump into investing.

@Chris Purcell I like to diversify so I've been wanting to test out HML for a couple of years now.

We tested two mock-up rentals (I should probably dedicate a few blog posts about all my findings) and found that in a cycle of a year we wouldn't even break even.

In addition, many of the areas that the report requires to be abated were not actually tested; the report just says that they are "assumed" to contain lead based on similarity in appearance to other areas that were tested.

As for the paint, you should be able to show them the can or let them test it themselves to see what happens when the walls are washed.Again, I would recommend a written explanation and then see how they respond.

I would like to know... when you analyze a potential rental property deal, do you "stress test"?

I used them in 2 different states and passed the tests on the first attempt.

As they say, try to narrow your focus as soon as you can, but at first you'll probably test a lot of things out.