I recommend a part time job to go along with real estate. bartend or a security job late at night, you need some w-2 income.one tip I can add to the list. everyone hands out business cards, but when you do insist on getting one in  return, this will help build your circle of friends and associates. one other thing I like to do, once you have a client list, contact a local business and see if there running any specials, then get a copy of it and blast it out to your email list. individuals get tired of emails letting them know your a realtor every month, if you can give them something they will remember you more.

If you start off by treating the tenants with courtesy and respect, instead of suspicion, you all will fair much better.If you are still determining whether to buy the property or not, do your due diligence with inspections (insist on seeing the inside of every unit) and drive by the property at all times of the day and night to get a feel for the status quo.

A pro, will insist on paying them for some of their time because they understand time is money.

There are all kinds of different models and ways to structure a purchase and, despite the insistence of the all-cash buyer crowd, you can gain some level of control if you choose to "partner" with the heir(s) along the way.

Or landlord does receive it late but tenant insists it was on time.

I've spent decades educating folks to be more critical of disclosing personal / sensitive information, so it would be a little hypocritical - or, in the case of a person's SIN, illegal - to insist otherwise ;-)I would have been a tenant candidate who would not have disclosed his SIN. 

If there was an issue collecting the rent this month or in the future attempting to do an eviction without a tenant on one of our leases is also problematic.I feel like this is unnecessary but the PM is insistent.

Amass a convincing body of proof that the property is not worth what the school district insists it's worth.

But I insist on a position of strength financially.

In my first instance of paying 50k up front, I insisted on some kind of contract because their response was "Oh usually the client will just sign the quote sheet, pay the 50%, and then we get started."