So I got a tenant application who has a credit score of about 520 and same for spouse.

If rehab is needed, you can either use conventional rehab loan to finance your rehab costs or open a line of credit on a property that you may have then use that line of credit to fund your rehab expenses.

However, another option is to call a few local credit unions and banks and see what options they have, they might just require you use them for your operating account and some might even require some deposit minimum too.

The whole idea that "it's a great place to start because you don't need money or credit" is hogwash.

You can just tell the closing agent that you want your commission to be credited towards the money you need to bring for closing.

If they refuse to leave, you can evict them, which could show up on their credit report and prevent them from buying a home for the next seven years!

I plan to do the normal background/credit checks, get references for the tenants, etc like I usually do.

The pickleball court would be the lowest cost but on a hot day people want a nice pool.

What documents do they require, what credit scores do they allow, how do they verify previous rental history, etc.?

Its too easy to violate laws by asking inappropriate questions or by not disclosing how you will use the information or by not getting the applicants explicit permission to get background and credit reports.