Your identity = sold to the highest bidder."

I am not too worried about it as nobody knows the house location, their names, or any details about their identities but that said, can't be too careful I guess.

If I can find a supplier even at this identical price that will deliver for free, I'd be all over that.Picking up and loading all that material into my vehicle is a huge pain.

(at the top of the market)Deal: Several years later, we purchase the identical 4 plex next door for 165k.

Then every month when the automated water bill is generated and sent to each tenant it is identical to the pricing structure your city charges.

It really is the only way to be sure.OK, that's unreasonable unless you're renting from a little self-managing DIY guy like me, but you should NEVER worry about asking anybody renting a property to unequivocally prove that they own it/have the right to rent it out to you.Any landlords, property managers, or agents who would take offense to this request these days and are unwilling to make every effort/go the extra mile to establish their identities are very likely not legit.In the very small eventuality that you do find someone who is for real AND takes offense at a request to prove their identity, well, you're dealing with a moron.

(also willing to bet real money it'll need new plumbing as I know those houses like the back of my hand, and one of the longtime neighbors who was intimately familiar with the property even brought the issue up when we talked); being told that said property would rent for $1200 with new floors, when nearly identical properties nearby that were actually "updated" have been struggling for literal months to place tenants at $1000; and being advised to simply "contact the sales department" when I contacted the # on the listing and expressed interest in seeing the property as a local landlord who owns houses in that neighborhood.

Obviously, market conditions and comps are the main driver, but all things equal, would my unit go for more than an identical unit in the building that sold this year?  

We had two basically identical units at one of our properties, the one available in the winter was in the 1st floor (generally more desirable), with a renovated kitchen and newly finished hardwood floors, yet remained vacant for an uncomfortable handful of weeks before it was rented.

Their business models are nearly identical but they are priced differently and one is more established than the other.