One of the applicants is a Section 8 applicant in the state of California.(1) I want to be conscious when screening tenants, I am wondering should I have them all apply at once and play $40 for application fee, knowing that only 1 tenant would be able to stay?

I definitely suggest setting up some Keyword Alerts for the topics you feel knowledgeable, so you can jump into those conversation and offer advice!

He mentioned his girlfriend would be staying with him occasionally before submitting the application, but she would not be in the lease.

Are you working with a Realtor® or a contractor, both can likely solve your problem as the agent will have access to more data and knowledge of how to run comps, the contractor will be able to give you a better idea of repair costs.

First though, I am not an attorney and this is not legal advice.In my opinion, what you are describing is illegal and I always would suggest to stay away of skirting any laws/rules.

They didn’t own or live in the house (in most cases) so they wouldn’t have knowledge of issues unless the seller disclosed them.

There's many ways to be successful in real estate and depending on each investor's income/age/situation/approach/knowledge, their approach should be tailored to them.

Any fewer and it is an investment and not a second home.The IRS rules for being an investment property (and unlocking most of the tax advantages) are that the owner cannot stay in the home for more than 14 days.

Not sure what markets you are looking at, but would love to connect and knowledge share if you are interested.

You can have options to stay, sell, or continue as a rental.