You can still pay for a service to do backgournd/credit checks and employment/rental verifications.Some states/cities have their own rules, so you need to know what your local rules are also.

I am having a hard time verifying military employment and pay.

I have little over 100k in an IRA from previous employer.

My property is in a depressed area walking distance to the largest employer in the area which is a shipyard. 

A Solo 401k which is exempt from UBIT on leveraged real estate may be a better option if you have legitimate self employment activity. 

For both the applicant(s) and a co-signer, you want to understand their habits...financial, employment, legal, character, etc., as Bad habits in one area typically carry over to other areas, and will land you a poor Tenant (or co-signer) choice.

First of all I put my acceptance criteria clearly in the ad: minimum credit score (enter X amount, 620 is what I use),income 2-3x rent, good rental history, references, no evictions, acceptance dependent upon background check and employment verification, pet policy, desired lease term, etc. so that people will hopefully read that and not come to the open house if they know they won’t qualify.

QuickBooks Self-Employed has a receipt scanner feature and organizes expenses by property or investment type.

A previous Client and employer of mine came to me wanting to unload a property.

I prioritize applicants with a high income-to-rent ratio, a good to excellent credit history, and a stable employment record.