Quote from @Allison Cutlip: Hi all, My boyfriend and I are buying our first home that is a duplex, planning to live in one unit and rent the other side.

I am taking your advise, and switched my game plan to include a local agent or property manager to show the properties. 

The VCCO might not give you information outside of how much the tenant should be getting for rent payments, which is why filing for eviction is a good step. the VCCO will be notified and they may come to you, and you can get some answers that way.Another thing about filing is that the court can enforce a payment plan and a condition of the payment plan could be that you receive your payments directly and that rent is taken out of the tenant's compensation package before the rest of it is given to them.

7% is probably good for projections, but I would ask whatever bank you're planning to go with where they're at and factor in an extra 0.25% to be safe.

I guess my question is, how do you determine which starting plan is best for you or which type of purchase is best for you?

I definitely plan too  

My question is: If the HOA changes the bylaws to ban smoking (which they plan to vote on), and the lease held by the smoking tenant only specifies no smoking "within the unit," is there any legal recourse for the smoking tenant?

It takes a lot of planning and hands-on dedication to create real profit. 

Selling now could simplify estate planning and lock in gains, especially with capital gains taxes in mind.

Do you meet with us routinely to be proactive and do planning?