But he has clear advantage of getting much larger deposit (landlord in most jurisdictions is limited to collecting 1.5 or 2 months' rent payment, which he must place in an escrow vs. $8000-$10000 Scott can collect and use for any purpose the next day). 

You good contertops and do a tile back splash with some color I think white subway is becoming a bit dated.  

While great for cashflow, may limit your exit stratgy.Also, How comfortable are you with the offer as well as the overall numbers on whether this will or will not cash flow? 

Our manager also helped and encouraged us to limit our repairs/spending based on the area we are in and the type of property.

Details matter: keep a log (something like an excel spreadsheet) that documents the date, duration, and events that occurred/work you did. 2.

@Seidy Lasker Wash sale rules apply to stock options if they are deemed "substantially identical" to a security sold at a loss within 30 days, such as options with similar expiration dates or strike prices.

Off grid sounds cool to some, but it really limits your potential guest pool.

For added liability protection, consider setting up an LLC for the rental, though this may have limited impact if the mortgage is in your name.This post does not create a CPA-Client relationship.

Property radar subscription may give it to you.. or a GOOD VA could compile in the counties your interested in. then up date it weekly as new private DTS are recorded

In our still relatively limited experience, seller financiers are usually looking to get a higher asking price in exchange for the favor of the private loan.