Al, You sound like a very positive guy which is great, but only in a perfect world will that be your competitors' response.In the real world, they are more likely to try to bad mouth you to potential tenants or vandalize your property to knock you down a peg or 2.Most of them don't care if they are a good landlord, they simply want to make the most money.

At DoHardMoney we do things a little different than most Hard Money Lenders and as a result we’ve disrupted things in a way that competitors feel the need to raise doubts and concerns about our systematic approach and our business model.

Once you get good at this stuff it is easy to be better than your competitors in town.When choosing a lot make sure it has municipal water.

You need to be able to identify business risks as well as real estate issues.But the same holds true at any level, size and class, in a strip center you don't want to lease to a competitor of an existing tenant, (some business owners who were better capitalized would lease three doors down to run out competition, but never admit it), you'd be in trouble.

Keep in mind he is a competitor not a friend.

Try managing that when Austin floods, it rains for a month, or the subs get a better deal from your competitor down the street.  

Follow up and follow through is what your competitors will NOT often do.

If your competitors dont then I would fill the hole with a cabinet.

So, I start swiping, now my apartment that I just signed a 2-year lease on, has a brand new 65'' flat screen, PS3, laptop, I pod (new touch screen version of course) leather sofas, fancy dining set, the whole 9.

Check with multiple institutions, many will match or beat competitors numbers.