I have asked that patrols be stepped up but the commander has limits on what he can put on the street to react to this particular incident on Diversey.This neighborhood has improved greatly over the years, but there are still pockets of problem gang members and criminal elements they interact with that are adding to the burglaries and robberies.

I Wonder how the credit check, criminal record and income verification went (when landlord did that).

You definitely are allowed to have your own screening criteria, like a credit score of at least 650, no evictions, criminal background, etc.

By the way, the only screening I do is criminal record and proof of employment.

Whatever way you try to save money, don´t cut corners on background checks (criminal, employment, rent history).

The penalties for violating federal (and some state's) securities regulations are CRIMINAL so you definitely don't want to DIY this. 

. - I wouldn't call it lowball...if the house is $150k, market value is closer to $135k and I offer 10% under market then my offer would be 121.5k which could look offensive or ridiculous without some discussion around how I arrived at my value.

Obvious reasons:Bad credit history, evictions, judgments, criminal record, not enough income, bad rental background check.What about:short employment history, no bank account or short banking record, short or no rental history, what about rental history being with parents?

The boards on the windows do very little to deter the criminals in this city who would use these homes for nefarious purposes.  

I always say it's more offensive to not make an offer than to make one, so as long as you're making an attempt to offer a fair price based on your evaluation (whatever that is), then party on.