We have our insurance through Proper.

However, I haven't been able to find any official information confirming whether this is legal or if it violates any laws.I'm hoping someone here might have experience with this or know of a reliable source that can clarify the legality of contacting a tenant's commanding officer.

Since they haven’t announced it officially I think they are in a testing phase.

This was written by Proper insurance who writes one of the most comprehensive policies you can get for an STR.http://tinyurl.com/nhjryw42

There are always opportunity on the MLS....properties that are listed/categorized incorrectly....properties that rely on public record square footage that is not accurate but the broker is too lazy to verify and simply relies on the autofill data, properties that have base zoning that allows for a better use, properties with unique characteristics that are not properly detailed in the marketing information, properties that are simply listed over priced and become stale and are good negotiation opportunities. 

That would be identified through the pre approval process if done properly.  

At least ensure you are getting proper tax advice.C corp and s corp are both US federal tax concepts, not business entities.

.⚠ Other Issues – They could be hiding something (evictions, unpaid rent history, or other financial instability).What You Can Do:✔ Ask for the official employment verification letter – Many HR departments provide standard verification letters upon request.✔ Verify pay stubs – Cross-check them with bank statements to confirm deposits match.✔ Call the employer directly – If HR is off-limits, ask for a manager’s contact instead.✔ Stick to a Consistent Screening Process – Fair Housing laws require uniform screening criteria, so making an exception for one applicant could lead to discrimination claims.

Depending on your flavor, this could be good or bad.Connect with a great property manager early on, as many won't work just any property in any part of the City.Being an east coast city, our housing stock is fairly old and unless it's been properly rehabbed, will have typical "old house" maintenance.None of this is meant to discourage you from investing in multi units in Baltimore, but I'd try to set realistic expectations about the market here.TLDR; we have a wide variety of "multi-unit" structures in Baltimore.

I think your biggest issue with any "work-arounds" is going to be your legal liability and holding the proper insurance in case something goes wrong, which I'm going to assume you'd need to be properly licensed in order to be properly covered by insurance.