While the guarantee of income sounds great, it's only a percentage of the rent, typically up to 70% and the tenant has to pay the remainder.

Everyone he mentioned to me was a sub or contractor of some type who got stiffed. when I had my hard money shop in Oakland CA  one of my competitors made a loan that went bad ( haven't we all !!) 

So, if you are shopping around, trust your numbers and don’t be aggressive on price, you may be only bidding against yourself.

Land investingI went with these five as the first one takes very little money to get involved and its basically credit card / pawn shop lending. 

If heat goes out in the winter we drop off several units, so they can be placed in different parts of the house - including every room with water like kitchen and bathrooms.We also have dehumidifiers, carpet blowers, shop vacs, puddle-sucker pumps, extra hoses, extra sump pumps with battery pack, squeegees, and portable AC units ready to deploy. 

If the violations took place prior to purchase, I would at least give them written notice that you are aware of the previous violations and that just one under your watch would result in an eviction.in the meantime, I would shop for new insurance and pass the increase on to the tenant.

I would suggest shopping it around a little more until you find a lender that offers reasonable terms and has a positive reputation.

But I also don’t know of any appliance shop with no return policy.

A solid agent can help you calculate ARV, manage inspections and contractor connections— get quotes and coordinate handymen and vendors post close, provide shopping lists and software suggestions for management or STR furnishing, etc. 

I have been investing since 2008 and have purchased everything from single families and duplexes, to 250+ unit multifamily, to assisted living, to shopping centers, to industrial and more.