I couldn't be happier to be rid of them- IMO successful Detroit investing is for the locals.

We are much happier in our house, and my tenant has the situation handled.

I pay her a fair wage and offer a very flexible schedule but she makes things happen, has brought my vacancy to almost zero, people are happier b/c of maintenance calls and she is like the glue keeping all things in place.

@Yehonatan Baran, For me buying a house off the MLS, from other investors, or word of mouth are most of where I have bought mine.

I have not aggressively pursued new properties to manage - mainly word of mouth and existing clients buying new properties - and I'm approaching 40 doors after less than 18 months. 

For example if they felt the owner ignored their maintenance requests, you may be able to start off on a better foot with them by assuring them you will take their requests seriously.I'd also consider that you may not want a vacant unit in the middle of winter, so if it were me, I'd probably spend the first few weeks getting a sense for these tenants, their issues, etc. and determine if you think they're going to bad-mouth the property/you to others.I guess as long as they seem like relatively reasonable people (i.e. not hostile), if you still want them to move I'd probably defer to giving them 90 days notice and basically tell them you're giving them more notice than you need to because you want to make sure they have enough time to move.But also tell them based on how much you paid for the property you absolutely need to raise the rent - it's not a question of your being a nice/mean guy, it's a question of making the #s work so you can afford the mortgage payment.I'd also consider searching out some community organizations and contact info for the Department of Elderly Affairs and anyone else who might assist older people in finding new living arrangements, and include that as a second page to the rent increase notice.A lot of questions like this depend on the specifics of the people involved, whether you can build a rapport, understand and possibly address their concerns, whether you think they're acting in good faith, etc.So it's hard to really give an exact answer but those are some thoughts.

Really great on time, great bang for the buck, and couldn't be happier with the communication and speed. 

This will allow you to keep your stream of cash coming in, limit turnover, and not put a bad taste in the mouths of your stable, existing tenants.Hope this helps!

word of mouth is the best way, but normally that contractor is pretty loyal to whoever recommended him.

Our handyman business has a 5 star rating and reviews and a lot of word of mouth advertising.