Alternatively, instead of asking for more from the buyer, you could limit your spend to the new roof and state you are fixing nothing else if there are other issues.

The other alternative is talk to your landlord and see if they would allow you to move out and find somewhere better.

Other than an email alert from CL, is there any alternative to get the alerts?

(Something like this may come up more with alternative lending options that with a bank.)  

There are alternative ways to do this when paycheck stubs and rental histories are not available.For example, someone with no visible means of support might be running a meth lab (Google "meth lab tenant" to learn how expensive this can be for property owners [who are responsible for the cost of cleanup]).

Apartments and renting soon become an attractive alternative.

As far as real estate cycles hotels tend to do best when the economy is good or the perception of it is good in they eyes of corporations and the general public.So right now on an alternative comparison asset class analysis you could say apartments are overvalued and peaking in the cycle.

Also,  what are some alternative funding avenues?

Firstly I think of RE as an alternative investment and would never consider putting more than a small portion of my total portfolio into it, secondly it would primarily be as an inflation hedge or for the income, granted I wouldn't be interested in income investing until I was closer to retirement.

Train station currently being built which will give another alternative for commuting though not as close as freeway access.