. - not my first choice, unethical, needs cashb) Get to do a 13% or 19% rent increase if rents haven't been increased since May 1977 or May 1976, respectively - I will find out if there are records going this far back in due diligence phase, if offer gets acceptedc) Operate with a loss or very low NOI for 1 year, after that we will be eligible to apply for a Just & Reasonable Rent Adjustment. - with this, we can potentially increase rents by up to 145% depending on a comparison with baseline 1977 level rent amount.I have 2 questions:1) If there exists these 2 other, legal ways to increase rent in a rent controlled area, why does it seems like the only option most investors consider is cash for keys?

It was our choice. 

You have several options, and the choice depends on your goals and financial capabilities.

You don't want a QI that has a pooled trust account where they have the opportunity to invest that money and use it for good or nefarious purposes.All the insurance and bonding in the world (which are important) are only beneficial after a bad event has happened. 

I ended up looking into OOS investing and settled on Columbus as my target market and haven't been disappointed with my choice to do so. 

Also not all houses would make a great STR, so getting local advice on location, size, etc would be beneficial.

The CMHA payment standard refers to the maximum amount that the Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) is willing to subsidize for housing assistance programs, such as the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program.

Diving into the Charlotte, North Carolina real estate market is a fantastic choice, especially for your first rental property!

If you had it would be beneficial because you can enforce it with an attorney and go for penalties and damages. 

It starts with a choice, that I AM GOING TO DO THIS, full stop.