I am very new to the real estate market and am here to learn as much as I can in taking first steps to purchasing homes.  

Before you do that, install some passive roof vents or an attic exhaust fan on a thermostat switch with a passive intake on the other side of the attic.  

They don't want those foreign students to run out of money and have to resort to working part time which results in taking jobs from Americans.

A complaint with HUD must be verified by an intake worker.

In CA, the state department first does an intake with someone who has filed a complaint to be sure their complaint is legit.  

Having the tenants do the application also seems to screen out the people who aren't very serious about moving in. Take

First the DFEH does an intake with the complainant to decide if the complaint meets the criteria for discrimination.  

You need to be able to handle the drop in take home pay or have the cash flow returns from the real estate investment high enough to cover the 401k loan payment, or some combination of the two.  

One last question, I see that a lot of people take a "hold deposit" then at move in take the rest, sign the lease and then give the keys but what if I want to require the renter to pay everything and sign the lease now and then give them the keys when they move in in August?

Please note that changing the AC filter and cleaning the AC air intake closet should be done once every 30 days as part of routine maintenance.The Air filter on the AC had not been changed since you first moved in (Dec 2015) and the new replacement you bought was not the right size.