Property values and interest rate (but with higher standards) were lower in 2012 than 2007.In general it is often true, but not always.  

Personally, I follow this standard for every application I receive:- Income of at least 3 times the monthly rent (verified through the employer)- Credit score of 580+- Rental verification with past landlords (no outstanding balances, no late payments, and the property left in acceptable condition)- No history of collections, evictions, or criminal offenses- No overdue debt (except medical debt)This process has helped me place quality tenants over the years.

Section 8 guarantees part of the rent, which is great for income stability, but the building will have regular inspections to meet Housing Quality Standards (HQS).

Rents increases are not standardized and should be kept within the realm of market rents.

any advice on paying mortgage off or faster With a standard mortgage, your monthly payment will remain the same for the life of the loan.

Above that, though, I would focus on standardizing your renovation, i.e., same tile, paint, flooring, etc.

As a result, I've increased the rent to my standards and past other landlords' standards who are afraid to go past 10%!!! 

Very simple - tell them to call me if they can't figure it out.I would not tell the tenant what I was doing and if it was ever discovered that I had done it - I would explain that I did it as a standard safeguarding of my property - in case the original thermostat should ever fail while no one was there to monitor the space temperature - the backup thermostat would save us all from freezing damage.

Expectations for a higher standard of decor and theming has infiltrated this industry and those are the ones that do well.

My belief is that Praxis is the gold-standard.