I probably (because I can be soft and non confrontational...which isn't a good thing in this business), would've subsidized half of what the increase was.

Mind it, that her personality is gentle and soft spoken; and she still did it.

But it would be for the "soft" reasons like I could visit "free" and so could family, we could invite friends, blah...blah...blah. 

What's plan B if the RE market goes soft?

They also use ResidentVerify so I know that when an application is screened that they are performing a criminal bg investigation on each prospective tenant along with a soft credit inquiry so I have everything I need to make informed decisions with very little effort.

For the soft costs, vacancy, maintenance (including capex) you should always plug in your own numbers based on what you believe to be reasonable costs over time. 

I was HML to turn key operators in the satellite cities of Kokomo Muncie etc.. back in the early 2000s . you had some good things  like the inner city thefts were not there.. you could walk into a home that was vacant and it was still all in tact same home in a inner city area will usually be stripped or a squatter.the issue was stable rent collections.. these areas the wages are not high and collecting rent long term was a challenge to those I was lending to ( well actually the end client I was paid off by the time the tenant went in) but I ended up owning properties in each of these markets . 

Pro tips for you:Dark towels, dark sheets, bright open spaces with zero clutter.

The houses that are affected most are those in the path of the water, often built on the banks of a river or on "soft land".  

The design process can take 4-8 months depending on your feedback and the level of detail required, and permitting can take another 2-6 months (depending on the jurisdiction processes and amount of projects they need to review).Consider all the soft costs- surveys, civil engineers, architect, structural engineers, geotechnical engineers, permitting, etc., and have your architect consult with a MEP engineer after you get the survey back to ensure you have enough electrical service and water/sewer supply for the size of the home.