The letter from the "local records source" is a SCAM.

We believe it's a scam because he claimed $1,500 in clothes stolen, among them a $1,000 mink coat, and he's not the type to wear mink coats.Later on, had another tenant, and by then I required renters insurance.

@Moncy Samuel The old bank freeze scam eh?

However, I would assume it's a scam until proven otherwise.

Get caught up in a "get rich quick" type of seminar scam. 

Title insurance is an overpriced scam, but a necessary evil.

At least it might stop them from scamming someone else.

I was hoping to get more input after preparing these numbers but I suppose people are more interested in the threads about the when the next real estate crash will be, or the latest real estate scam :)I'm by no means a tax expert - but I always had the understanding that through the use of depreciation and 1031 exchanges one could defer taxes almost indefinitely. 

Seems far fetched even for the South Florida home of scam market.Anything I can do to increase the chance of these items still being there after I close?

Honestly, the amount of scamming on Craigslist has gotten out of control.