There is no reason they shouldn't advertise the unit prior to it being vacant unless they have no idea of the current condition, which is its own red flag. 

@Dan DeGroff - I think you can probably do this as a primary residence since the scenario makes sense (e.g. you travel to Aspen for work during ski season), however, there are some major red flags here that you will need to explain and support during underwriting (e.g.

IMO a bigger red flag would be poor record keeping on expenses and other documentation that would indicate property condition.Anyway, you're ultimately purchasing the income stream that *you* can achieve, not what the seller achieved.

A conventional loan may come in slightly cheaper, that's true, but the red tape on conventional mortgages is excessive to say the least.No Reporting on Personal Credit: DSCR loans are kept off your personal credit profile, which is perfect for keeping your personal and business credit separate.

But, the situation you spelled out raises a lot of red flags. 

You may be right that listings with dollar amounts in the descriptions are being flagged. 

I also call the local court system to see if anything is flagged on file. 

That would be a red flag for me personally.

Your post in the other forum was flagged and was grabby.

What red flags should I be aware of?