You could form a month to month lease with a just a days notice to vacate so you could end it as soon as you get your license ready to close, the seller might be open to it.https://www.hostaway.com/blog/rental-arbitrage-joshua-tree/Or, you could continue to list on the seller's Airbnb and you could become a full-access co-host on their account - handle all communication, pricing, etc.

Would switching to targeting refinery workers endanger your ability to attact students in the future (a break in the word of mouth advertising, for instance).

If someone represents themselves as private lenders, check them on NMLS consumer access to see if they are licensed.

Lowering the credit score threshold slightly could widen your pool while still screening responsibly.Also, ensure your pre-screener is clear and easy to access—unanswered inquiries suggest it may need adjustment.

No fee's when I access rate is a tad higher.

In the spring you can list it for market rate and have better marketing/screening strategies in place.HOW TO SCREEN APPLICANTSI recommend you include some of your key qualification criteria in the advertisement.

Most Buyers don't even know that there is a public access portal to search local listings.

I, too, suggest having your bank account with a bank that is popular and easy to access in your tenants' town.

Usually you're going to have to invest some front-end money to survey it out and work with an engineer to figure out what's possible (generally the more lots the better) based on your existing access to infrastructure, the desirability of the area, zoning rules, etc. 

Right, seriously, there's a game on Steam called "Tenants" which, I suppose, is a landlord business simulator.On sale now for $17.49.Quick blurb (not trying to advertise for them, honest):Become a landlord and deal with problematic tenantsas you build your rental property empire.