However, if the property is a long-term hold, the lower interest rate with a prepayment penalty can often result in better overall returns.Another consideration investors should evaluate is how prepayment penalties are structured - whether it's a declining penalty over time or a flat fee - because this can significantly impact their profitability when selling earlier than expected.

There are numbers and then there is outside the numbers, but it helps to get them all down on a screen.

They filled out the application through apartments.com (used to be Cozy.co before it was acquired) where my screening criteria is posted and the application is hosted, and their annual income listed in the application is 1.25x rent.

If they want to bring on a new roommate, you screen them like anyone else and if they qualify, great- you can talk about amending the lease at that point, but that is only a courtesty. 

It could be the lack of screening skills.

It is a county by county decision.You have to screen through a lot of  junk to find the worthwhile ones.

The the transition was seamless and since I know the tenants already had to pass their screening process, I was not concerned about inheriting these tenants.

I will just have my bookkeeper bill a flat amount monthly from Jan 1st on. 

Flat Fee buyer agency to reduce acquisition costs (get ~2% of the sales price back), and flat fee MLS listing to reduce selling costs to ~$500.

@Jen Anderson how about get google voice number for your rentals and screen that line.