For me, the first pass at underwriting is simply about determining if a deal is worth exploring further.In the current market, I’d say 9 out of 10 deals are dead on arrival.

can I find absentee owners and water cut off lists etc.. on PropStream?

But during the buyer’s due diligence, several unexpected issues surfaced, each cutting deeper into the profit I had worked years to earn.The first issue was with the water lines.

Many tenants will cut their nose off to spite their face and move, rather than accepting a fair increase:(What does Zillow say the rent should be?

Looking for 1% deals will be cutting things close. 

If not, then the path of least resistance is to simply adjust your vision so it fits better into the lot, as-is. :) A zoning change can take up to 6 months, approval isn't guaranteed (despite Aldermanic support), and potentially cost a lot of money (architectural site / floor plans & dimensioned elevations, zoning attorney, holding costs, etc.) 

Upon contacting Rent to Retirement, we were told by the rep that Delta "cut off" communication with Rent to Retirement and if we choose to continue with Delta Build, we will have to resolve issues with them ourselves as Rent to Retirement can no longer speak on our behalf.

On your own, you simply can not buy in the place where you want to live. 

Being a flipper for the last 10 years (always part time), there is simply a mismatch here.

In related news, we had a guests for a  10 day stay and they wanted to cut the stay short.