Hi Melanie, I both own and manage in the area and to be honest, the market in Kissimmee/Davenport is tough right now unless you're willing to invest a lot of capital into high end theming. 

Cash flow is tough in Denver if that’s where you’re looking.

You have to keep up with rent trends or tough it out and wait for hopefully a stronger rental market this spring.   

(not sure on state law but this probably is a tough sell)4.

For example, the iconic Malibu waterfront homes were built directly over the water, many by variance, and assumedly will not be permitted to reconstruct, certainly not with the same materials or attached architecture.

If you research recent sales you can always provide the appraiser a list of those sales.One of the best ways to insure a higher value is to update the property using materials and fixtures that are popular and common in the area.

I am asking anyone knowledgeable to provide any measures or strategies that could materially make a difference in heading off the risk of serious financial harm of the eviction process with non-paying tenants.

Some of the materials we choose and asked him to pick up (such as flooring) he replaced with low quality materials, I assume to keep more of our money for himself. 

Tough hit, great attitude.  

However, he asked me to sign a one-year Exclusive Right to Represent agreement, as presented to him by his brokerage.His interpretation is that it applies only when he materially assists me, but I think the boilerplate brokerage language he was given reads much more broadly:"If during the term of this Agreement Buyer enters into a contract for the purchase of Property through the services or efforts of the Broker or Buyer’s Brokerage Firm, or by or through any other persons during the term of this Agreement" (emphasis mine).My concern is that, under my interpretation, if a fellow real estate investor wants to unload a property or if I get pointed to an opportunity by a former agent, colleague, or friend, this agreement could create an obstacle to moving forward with the deal.In the end, I didn’t sign.