Different locations have very different rules and all advice is not applicable to all areas.

Hello, is this still applicable to 2022?

You will need to clarify details with your lenders but FHA and first time buyer loan products are typically owner-occupant loans, so may not be applicable in your plans.You also mentioned contacting a Realtor in California- they should be able to help source out a Realtor in Boise to help with any purchase there.  

You want to be fair and give the first person a reasonable amount of time to sign a lease and provide a deposit, but if that first tenant is dragging their feet, then your friend shouldn't turn away qualified applicants who are ready to move in.

Some have gone as far as to pay (through Zillow) for an application which includes a background check. 

We dont have statistics on this, but intuitively, we are seeing a measurable increase in the number of applicants moving to our suburban neighborhoods. 

The others are all good for free but I like the Zillow presentation, contacts and data.I had an applicant last year who used the Zillow application and I would love to see more potential tenants do that.

Being said, you MUST perform a thorough screening background check equally and fair on ALL applicants the EXACT same way to avoid being accused of discrimination.  

Submit a fake application and check for ease-of-use and quality of reports.

I would hate to have to go through the whole application and credit check to find out it's the same case.