Thanks Andrew, Def going to get all of those bullet points done.

cold glass, ice clicking in the glass.. ptchhhht, bottle opens.. gobble gobble pssshhhhhht as the gas settles pouring in that black liquid heart attack goodness... glub glub.. and the famous "Ahhhhhhhhhh"?

Option 1: invest in multi family housing Pro- semi reliable income- cuts cost on my living expenditures -recession proof (can be argued)Cons- high cost start (for me at least)- first time managingOption 2: Buy land and try to negotiate a development deal Pro-huge reward -can be fast- after deal is done right, I'm hands offCon-very risky especially for intro-no expertise in this field -finding a great deal in hardOption 3: wholesalePro-great return-can be fast-not long term Con-hard to find good deals especially with a full time job -can be a nightmare project-no expertise Please correct me if I have messed up with any of my pros/cons.

There are lenders that will provide the capital for your side of the closing, often they just require proof that there is a buyer lined up.

He has proof of adequate savings and is paying 6 months up front.

Take the pets photo, get proof of insurance, shot card registration, rabies and whatever else makes you safe and then I have no problem renting to pets.If they pass that inspection show up at their current residence and ask to go inside and inspect for pet damages.

The pro of that is that they're in limited supply and they should be scooped up before they're too hard to find. 

As far as I have dealt with lenders they have wanted 2 years of tax returns and bank statements as proof of income for self employed.

In your neighborhood, you don't want to have a vacancy very long, because things can tend to 'go missing'.If one tenant has sufficient income to qualify based on your standards, but the (probably) student with no social (BTW, get a copy of their visa for your records, and proof they are a full-time student) does NOT have provable income or background, the ONLY way to go is to get first, last and security.Since you are living there, you will have a better handle on the day-to-day, and you MUST stay on top of things. 

This is one of those cases where you could have all kinds of lease wording texts and solid proof to make a legitimate case you were right ..but in eviction court when the judge hears you took those private photos after agreeing not they will almost assuredly side with the tenant and you will get your %^* handed to you in court