When you buy a car, you know everyone from the salesman to the truck driver delivering bolts makes some money, and you're happy with the product for the price.

Im not a landlord (and after reading these forums, I never will be), but in my mind, keeping a tenant, one who is costing you money from negligent damage, even tho they pay their rent on time, is like me saying as a driver, I drive on the wrong side of the road and knock people's mail boxes down, but Im a good driver because I put gas in my car.

The "Duplexes of Texas" builder has been the only fundamental driver in Buda. 

Their requirement was at least a $10,000 balance (which is about a years worth of rent).My documents (drivers license, bank statement) showed my out-of-state former address on them. 

I can see for a single tenant in a house that is not close to your other rentals doing a negotiation like that might work.Most of the tenants I have if the judge says to be out they go.Different tenants have different levels of knowledge with the process and the last thing you want is to empower them more.You will have enough professional tenants to deal with as it is.I always tell my property manager that "less is more" when talking with a tenant.The more you explain things to them the more they learn and are more difficult to evict.Let them believe they have to be out and most will just move and not wait on the writ.One tenant I had got a judgement in court and the eviction date from the judge.They paid the judgement and moved out and didn't wait on the writ.They didn't know about garnishment,bank levy,etc. and the process and just paid me the judgement.Also even if it is a house you have to watch if your properties are close to each other or renting to friends or family they will talk as well about you the landlord.Have another tenant now where she owes thousands and the writ is in a week.She has been waiting on disability approval from SSI.She wants to pay 700 but I have a judgment for a few thousand.I told her if she comes up with 2,500 I will let her stay otherwise she is out.The reason is at 700 it is not worth it to me.I would take 700 and then have to cancel the writ and refile eviction.With the holidays it could be January before I get her out again because of the courts taking the time off.At 2,500 I get most of what is owed and I don't have to recondition the property.Then I don't have to get re-rented during the Holidays which will most likely take a special first months rate to rent out.As a landlord these are the tough decisions you have to make on a case by case basis.We do inspections once a month.Then we know if we file eviction what kind of recondition costs will be needed to get ready again.Then you weigh the thousands in costs or hundreds depending on condition re-renting versus a workout with the current tenant.As far as evictions go most will pay the judgement.If they do not I am nice to them and press them to move out by the court ordered date.The property manager goes in daily and says a few more days and it all has to be out.This presses them to move.If they change the locks which they are not allowed per the lease then we have an impact driver that will push through the toughest lock in under a minute.Some will stay and wait for the writ but not many.I wait until they leave and then I "bring down the hammer" and file garnishment against them.I don't do this until they leave to keep them calm and make them think they are getting away with something.They leave the place clean with no trash thinking they are getting off scott free.

Im just starting my research on investing in SFR's in JAX and was wondering what kind of economic drivers are providing the jobs.

But I don't see any real drivers in place to move the shotgun homes around there from cheap to highly desirable.  

If I was a licensed agent or a RE Broker, I'd be dusting off my resume and start looking for a different career, because just like the dinosaurs, taxi drivers and hotel owners,  they too will soon be extinct !!!

until we know the back ends of those deals we are left wondering what they were thinking when all along a 5 to 7% return to them means millions.. so in reality a hedge fund could drive rents down if they wanted to as well.. just to make sure they have the best tenants and their properties are full and they are still doing quite well. raise rents and really cash in.I agree to fully round out a portfolio investors should be thinking about upside movement of the value... the quote " appreciation is icing on the cake" while a nice sentiment is really I think a poor philosophy to follow... one needs to either force appreciation buy in an area were appreciation takes you for a nice ride,, or were rents can move up dramatically in a fairly short period of time those are the only ways in rentals one is going to make any kind of real money.Although what some would think is a reasonable return on investment and risk others would not be happy with...

(And a great experience for young drivers to spend a morning in traffic court.)