For seasoned, grizzled investors who plan to keep their money safe, that translates to yield means nothing if the principal is in jeopardy.By reducing my max LTV to 50% (including costs) I've eliminated most all investors who are unable or unwilling to offer property that attracts my money.

But since you brought it up...If, and thats a HUGE IF, Illegals were sent back home, either the fields wouldnt get picked or wages would be increased to attract LEGAL immigrants or US citizens.

Anything you can do to make your offers more attractive and stand out from the others will help increase your chances of getting them accepted.

Areas that aren't "war zones" that would attract better tenants and less vacancy rates.

I want it to be attractive to them and at the same time affordable for me.

In my area I find a lot of 6-flats/6-plexes that do not have central air, despite the fact that it is a feature which is highly attractive for prospective tenants.When I try to search the web, including BP, it seems that almost no one talks about putting in the money and effort to install central air in these units.

If you are just trying to help a friend and are not receiving any gain (money or other consideration) then I wouldn't worry about just trying to help them put it on the Internet to attract a buyer.

For instance, knowing where the load-bearing walls are, knowing what types of tenants the property will attract, knowing the routing of plumbing & condition of the sewer main, knowing how noisy the street is, knowing that the house has a serious settling issue or water diversion problem, and--importantly--knowing how the property could be changed to force appreciation/rent.

If you happen to get more rent and/or self-manage, even better.The clause you are referring to sounds like something you'd see with a FHA loan, and yes, it is common in order to get the attractive interest rate that you owner occupy for a certain length of time, generally one year.

Will it attract the people you think will live there?