A broker representing the seller has a fiduciary duty to warn the seller as to the risk involved and advise the seller to seek independent legal counsel. 

Patience and staying well-informed are vital in real estate.

If you have a tenant being unresponsive, you could send an official notice with USPS certified mail so you have a track record showing you did your best to inform the tenant of their duties. 

These are vital for investors.

The Core 4 Members Vital to a Profitable Long-Distance Real Estate Investing Team on BiggerPockets provides valuable information.

So going over the lease and the duties and responsibilities while we sign it is part of our onboarding procedure and tenant training!

The E&O carrier has a duty to defend against the claim and the policy most assuredly states that the policy holder must immediately notify the carrier of any potential known claim.  

I live in the house and so what I did was put a heavy duty clear plastic shower curtain over the window.

But for military folks like your son, they can stretch that to 2 out of the last 10 years if they're deployed or on duty far from home.Now, about renting out his house while he's away.

The neighborhood is vital to your success but an agent has to tip toe around Federal and State Laws to not say, "this is a bad neighborhood."