Check out her prior rental history, even if it's from many years back, it may be significant.Retain a security deposit that will cover your needs should she default in paying her rent and/or cause damage to your property. 

At closing the leases and security deposits are transferred to the new owner.

Security deposits (students).  

, "will you be able to pay $XX deposit/application fee?"

For instance, this 10% Vacancy that you are calculating monthly is generally passed along as an added cost to the tenant through a security deposit.

Think of all the things that could go wrong and see if the lease addresses them: unauthorized pets or tenants, early termination, security deposit, lease violations, late rent, eviction, lawn maintenance, parking, etc.5.

hey just some advice from a plumber ive been doing plumbing for 5 years nowyou said you had a iron sump pit, likely the pit is beginning to corrode and thats the cause of the iron deposits, now a days most pits are made from composit plastics ,another possibility is the piping could be the cause if its a metal pipe [iron or galvinized steel ] it could be contaminating the water being pumped out, again most pipes now a days are PVC either sch 40 ,80 or ABS to prevent this issue, it could be the pump is corroded and failing but if its working i doubt that its that ad if the pump was that bad it likely would have failedother than those the only other thing that comes to mind is that it could be something in the basement that is made of iron or steel that is in the pathway to thw water on its journey to the pit.hope this helps

Ideally you want bank statements or at least deposit slips.

An offer is not worth presenting to an owner without backing of the buyer's ability to actually close the deal which basically means showing you have at least the initial deposit/downpayment in your bank. 

He hasn't paid his rent (I have his deposit), but my worry is he has up and left and I am trying to find out the best way to deal with this being from out of state.