While it’s tempting to make exceptions to get someone into a unit, we’ve found that it’s better to hold out for more qualified applicants who are more likely to stay long-term without creating problems down the line.

@Helene GoodworthTo expand your network, identify your areas of interest, highlight your construction skills' application to investment projects, actively participate in local and online groups, and seek mentorship and guidance from experienced investors.

Landlord can require tenants to be responsible for separately metered utilities, so can avoid waste.Landlord can get annual small increases in rent.NegativesMost of us don’t treat something we get for free the same way we treat something we’ve worked hard to obtain.S8 applicants claim “broke” and don’t like to pay application feesSame goes for security depositsS8 tenants, in our experience, tend to cause more property damage than non-S8 tenants. - Make sure you get a security deposit and perhaps do a surprise inspection of their current home.S8 requires an inspection (mostly health & safety) before approving a lease and then annually thereafter. - Not something most landlords taking care of their properties have to worry about.There are limits to clauses they allow in your lease.

You should not allow any adults to reside in the property without being screened, approved by you, and on the lease.Here's a detailed guide on how to screen applicants: Application Screening Guide

You want to focus on the applications.

Lenders that would do that already went out of business, and/or stopped offering it, in 2022/2023.To get the 11% lender on board, you'd needing to be looking at a property with vastly more significant upside than a standard ho-hum annual 5% rent increase.A 30% vacant mismanaged apartment building would be an example of where the 11% lender would step in, and ACTUALLY make it to the finish line.What you are looking at right now is someone that's going to garner 20 applications with the hopes of finding 1 or 2, with enough upside, to actually fund.

However, it’s not the only way to get the qualification, it allows for Self and Homeowner declarations and documentation to add up experience, its just not as easy as an existing GC stating “he’s good to go”.Pursuant to Business and Professions Code (BPC) Section 7068, applicants’ experience must be verified by a “qualified and responsible person.”

Would you approve applicants without a verified rental history? 

Is your DSCR ratio greater than 1-meaning are you cash flowing (according to the lender's criteria of mortgage, property taxes and insurance (and HOA) if applicable).

Would receiving the 1099 interfere with my H1b extension or green card application?