There's nowhere to go but down.Dig into the employment data found here, and there are some other worrying signs.

Pick an area you know that everyone wants to be in, could be due to schools or jobs, park or new shopping or employment coming in that area.

Using a system with numbers is now defendable if there are complaints.1.On time for appointment2.BROUGHT NECESSARY ITEMS: Identification, application information, references, application fee, holding deposit...3.Filled out application completely and truthfully4.Able to verify all of the necessary information5.Able to pay full amount of rent and deposit6.Sufficient monthly income of 3 times the rental amount7.Verifiable income and employment8.Stable income or employment for a minimum of _____ months9.Financial obligation of no more than _____% of income10.Satisfactory credit history (no bankruptcy)11.Provided credit references12.At current address for a minimum of ______months13.Gave proper notice to current landlord14.Gave proper notice to previous landlord15.No prior evictions16.No problems with previous landlords17.Deposit fully returned (none withheld for damages)18.No complaints or police reports regarding disturbing the peace, etc.19.No significant violations of a previous rental agreement20.No pets or is willing to sign a pet agreement and meets additional pet criteria21.Non-smokers22.Has a Delinquency Rate less than 45% based on Credit Score Analysis performed by Tenant Background Search.23.Has a credit grade of B or credit score of 600 or higher per Tenant Background Search.

Fort Drum is the largest employer in the area (Jefferson County).

My employment history has been rich and varied, including long stints as a bookseller, charter bus driver, and over 12 years across one university library and three public library systems.

Stay-at-home spouse, self employed, work from home, that sort of thing.

This is actually a strategy I was looking to employ only with a bit of a twist.

If you are self-employed, you can open a Roth solo 401k and then invest in a variety of investments from equities to real estate, for example.

You can deal with some issues with the repairs, but if the property is in a crummy neighborhood with not a lot of employment, you could have a tough time renting it out, especially if the coal industry takes a turn for the worse there.

We stopped using them since it wasn't worth the hassle.Make sure that the contractor knows up front that you plan on giving them one so that if they are self-employed they can plan appropriately.