I am deducting the three unnessary service calls from their damage security deposit, -each receipt states tenant had blocked and closed the registers-- and have added new language to our lease which reads " unnecessary service calls caused by tenants negligence will be deducted from damage security."

All this prevents me from purchasing more properties because they will only allow up to 4 mortgages these days.

The option will be recorded, but that doesnt prevent the seller from stopping payment to the bank.

Seems unnecessary to me to provide a certified check until a least a verbal deal is reached...

You could learn something from that (don't take action without knowledge), but such a failure is totally unnecessary and not something positive.

Preventing them from cutting you out of the deal.I have and do gentleman's agreements all of the time and know that it is a small world if I go back on my world.

Right and the purpose of the First Amendment is to guarantee groups like those protesting the Viet Nam war in the 1960's and those opposing the war in Iraq were not summarily arrested and their views silenced.The law suit you have described so far is not a free speech issue since no government agency has prevented you from saying anything you want about anyone or anything.

Anyone have any strategies for preventing either person from feeling like they are doing more work than the other partner and like they aren't getting paid enough of the profits?

An ounce of prevention=A pound of cure.

A short sale typically is executed to prevent a home foreclosure.