I picked Las Vegas because it’s close to me and California is out of reach. I see lots of properties on the market but almost none of them makes the .5% let alone 1% rules, so why would any investor buy them? In most ...

There are 3 ways this can happena) Salaries increase (unlikely)b) Interest rates drop (not very likely since we I believe we have $8T of debt to sell next year that is coming off books and China and Russia are not buying US dollar as muchc) Home prices drop2.

I am the first in my family to do REI and my goal is to break the tradition of working for a salary for 40+ yrs only to retire on what I hope will be enough to start living freely.

I love it here because there are still positive cashflowing deals and lots of appreciation potential due to the strong job market, growing population, and major companies setting up shop here like Intel, Meta, Amazon, etc.

I used to be an engineer before going full time in real estate a few years ago and those two STRs net me more than my salary was!

For instance, mismatched names, employment details, or salary figures should warrant further scrutiny.Urgency to Move In: Applicants who are unusually pushy about quick move-in dates may be attempting to bypass thorough checks.Reluctance to Provide References: Hesitation or refusal to provide contactable references from previous landlords or employers is a cause for concern.Cash Offers for Faster Move-In: Proposals to pay a significant amount up front, especially in cash, to expedite the moving process can sometimes indicate an attempt to avoid scrutiny.Unverifiable Identity: Difficulty in verifying the applicant’s identity through standard identification documents can indicate potential fraud.Tips to Mitigate Rental Application Fraud:Enhance Verification Processes: Implement stringent verification processes for employment, previous rental history, and identity.

Once I've done that multiple times and I'm getting positive feedback on my numbers it will be time to begin the real journey. 

If electing S Corp status, pay yourself a reasonable salary to avoid IRS scrutiny.To be honest with you, you don't need any kind of Corp for tax savings unless you reach a certain amount of net income.

We've had a few applications but only one person meets minimum salary and credit score qualifications (meeting him tomorrow... fingers crossed!). 

Those that cannot weather the storm get wiped out.Having cashflow positive properties provides a margin of safety you just do not have with negative cashflow.Why are you focused on buying in your backyard?