Personally, I bought a 3 bed single family home soon after starting my job and had two friends from college rent which covered my mortgage plus a little extra.

Requiring occupant to have renters insurance is another possibility for extra protection.

They'll have the same issue with the next buyer and you can always come back in a few months and make them a much lower offer once the property has fallen out of contract a few times and they are extra motivated to sell.   

Eventually, I realized that if I kept waiting until tax time to organize my books, I would never escape the stress (and extra CPA fees).

He did extra lawnwork and was a great neighbor too have.

The reality is the opposite - if it's not in writing then the PMC doesn't have to provide the service or can charge extra for it!

Knowing cap-x projected out years is not an "extra credit" kind of information, it's fundamental necessity. 

I always looked for 'distressed' properties as that is a great way to grab some extra equity appreciation.

They offer invaluable insights into neighborhoods, regulations, tenant demographics, and market conditions—information you can't get from books or podcasts.The good news is that working with an investment team typically comes at no extra cost.

Some owners are willing to miss out on thousands of dollars just for a chance at a couple extra hundred dollars.