What your looking for is stable income.Pull criminal history.

This is due to a number of factors like age, death, power of attorney, divorce, criminal cases, loss of job, drug use, disability, emotions, intelligence, bills, liquidity, etc.

Mortgage Insurance Companies aren't stupid.The servicers have to go by the pooling and servicing agreement for that loan.All options have to be documented that were tried before foreclosure and filing an insurance claim.If protocols were not followed the mortgage insurance can deny the claim.Mortgage Insurance wants to pay out as least as possible and deny as much as possible just like any other type of insurance company.The servicer can also face a lawsuit from the investor on the loan if the servicer cannot document that they tried less damaging workouts than a foreclosure.The servicers make more money extending the loan than foreclosing with fees.I think with the short sale foreclosure guidelines the government released less short sales are happening with certain types of loans.The government dumps all the liability on the seller and makes them jump through all of these hoops now.For example it says documents submitted can be seen by other arms of the government and that you are subject to criminal prosecution and heavy fines.Some sellers instead of doing that will just buy time and let it foreclose.

The whole thing feels criminal to me.

Part of your application needs to explicitly give you permission to check their credit and criminal history (this part is important).  

Note, there are some felonies that are so serious it would be too high a risk for us to consider.LEGAL/CRIMINAL HISTORY1.

Tenants with criminal histories or previous evictions have turned out to be my best ones.

I know it's hard to believe as it was single digit weather yesterday but we have a fair share of homeless people here and "stone cold criminals" LOL.

Take a lot of photos, post videos, post the requirements for credit, income, criminal, so people weed themselves out and the serious ones get through.

Guys who are really able to find high quality tenants (do appropriate credit / criminal checks) and do good / solid work.