I tile the countertops with granite and put a matching wood trim.

That is why the cities should, and do get a deposit.

Should I turn in an large deposit with the offer?

You are not allowed to ask that the animal demonstrate the support task.Pet Fees/Deposits. 

Be careful to not over cover your self but be careful to match the coverage to your risk tolerance.

So can I write a new lease saying that the rent must be pay in full on the 1st of each month and if check arrive after the 1st a penalty of $75 will be taken off their deposit and is that legal at all?

They won't have the paint to match anyway.  

congrats on your journey. in my experience i have refinished hw floors and installed thousands and thousands of square feet of laminate floors. the issue i have found with laminate floors is if they ever require a repair down the road it is unlikely you will be able to get an exact match for the floor you installed  X years ago. hardwood floors can be refinished several times and look great when done right. you assumption on carpet is pretty accurate. we tend to install a mid-grade carpet (not the cheapest carpet available)  and as long as tenant did not totally trash it we have been able to get it cleaned and in some cases even dyed it a different color if we could not get the stains out but yes we replace a lot of carpet after tenants leave. 

When assigning or double closing I pretty much always open the escrow and deposit the EMD.  

Security deposits, etc.