Every baby agent is going to sell you on a vision on their market and you are going to take the bait.

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

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.

Lenders have liability in baiting borrowers, with disclosures, rejecting loans, in giving loans, or collection and servicing requirements, liability concerns are huge compared to real estate, violations carry ten years in prison and/or $100,000.00 fines, you better know what you are doing, and there are many brokers out there running small shops that have little if any compliance awareness.

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.

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

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

If we do everything correctly and we screen carefully (credit check, employment verification, etc.), what would be the worst-case scenario?

Read a few booksz like Brandon Turner's, and you will see how your VA loan and a few time tested strategies can be employed.