Being old doesn't make people stupid, chances are they are sharper than you are and they know good and well how to bend you over a barrel, anyone who was a shyster 40 years ago is just an old shyster today.

yes, real, 3/4" hardwood. it's nailed down. not the crap that's glued or clicks. because hardwood does not bend, it eliminated imperfections much better.shingles fill the low spots/gaps and hardwood just lays on them before it's nailed down.

Not those flimsy 1/4 in copper lines that bend when u touch them 

It prevents bending the rules in your favor: deducting something too early.It was never meant to prevent the opposite effect: deducting something one year later than it was paid.

Make sure they meet your screening criteria, before you spend time on them.Most of the time people who have something glaringly bad on their background or credit will try to entice landlords by offering to pay the full year upfront, in hopes they will bend on their screening criteria.

There is never a reason to have to drive all the way to say SOUTH BEND, Indiana just to get a couple hundred bucks of cashflow for a property.

You can't bend it to your will as easily :) "The website is pretty awful."

Gently bend a shingle back (pick one on the edge) - the more brittle it is the older the roof, if it can't bend without breaking then you are looking at a roof replacement soon.The reality is that you should allow for roof replacement through maintenance amortization.

Many borrowers will approach you with "unusual" deals that they want you to bend your rules a bit for.  

Have you looked into the south bend Indiana market ?