This can help you weed out tenants you don't want and keep you off the phone with time wasters.5.

But do your due diligence on the companies you decide to work with by talking to them over the phone, looking at what kind of properties they provide along with property management.

My first ever real estate phone call turned into my first ever deal. 

Upon the beginning of the second year of tenancy the deposit must be in an interest bearing account, but the landlord/manager may keep up to 1% interest as admin fees (so make sure that account doesn't earn more than 1%). 

I did a google search and found out the lady is 94 years old, name, phone number. 

I COULD NOT get one through a local bank because no one was picking up the phone anywhere!

They'll do everything on their phone and may not have laptop or desktop though.   

You can have a copy of them saved in your phone to quickly send to potential tenants as you are screening them.

They are likely to say more in person/over the phone then they can put in the report. 

In the meantime we spoke on the phone about a $15k deposit upfront to lock the property up this year.