However if your market is comparable to mine MF is always a pinch more expensive than SF.

Luckily, I have no emergent needs at the moment (*knock on wood*), but knowing who to turn to in a pinch is always an asset.  

Of course you will pay more for it at closing but in a pinch that’s an option.  

Don't make the mistake of penny-pinching so hard that you lose sight of all the time a PMC saves you!

Owner/Developer was in a pinch with her construction loan coming due, negotiated over $40k off original asking price to help her close.

Partly because I make a pretty darn good living, so I don't have to pinch pennies if it saves me time that I could be getting more clients.

If, on the other hand, you're feeling the pinch of "no margin" in a tight market, you might want to consider a condo purchase.

Plug the coax into a nice WIFI router, with good USB/Ethernet ports, and stream to the TV, or even in a pinch, a $35 Rasberry PI, plugged directly into the HDMI port of the TV, will catch the WIFI signal, and bypass the garbage most TV's come with as far as an operating system.

Still, and even more importantly, location of the property, competitive pricing, applicant pool, etc, these will all play into your ability to get the place rented.Since it sounds like your situation was one where you're acquiring a new property, Grace has the right idea with 2-4 weeks ahead of time (but I'd even still say give yourself as much time as possible because applicants may fall through; ex. someone backs out after going through the screening process and showing intent on signing, but never does, generally you want to know that information well enough in advance that you can still not find yourself in a pinch.

Find someone who backs your vision and will help you when you're in a pinch.