Simply search "(City Name) Real Estate" and read the news articles from the past 3 years.

Wow that was great insight Jonathan thank you.My biggest concern is simply not having an income of reserve while going to school and capex or expenses putting me underwater. 

The city already has a strict permitting system in place for Vacation rentals, and it is quite possible they will further attempt to regulate vacation rentals. 

We were a small company simply operating on a deal by deal basis. 

@Ori SklootGreat post and simply just WOW.

Wow...I wish here in Cook County (Chicago) our court system would be this accessible where you could simply call into the clerk to say you were late or fax in personal requests to the judge.Here, defendants get 30 days to vacate a default judgement [almost] without question.

Once we hit the basement we saw foundation wall cracking as well as standing water from a recent rain and evidence of water seepage over many years.I did go to a very well-respected and well-known local Foundation specialists rather than an engineer simply because I knew one and I had less than 12 hours to make a decision on the property. 

I use PayPal, simply because I already had an account.

Grant is so right about the FOLLOWUP and how successful you will be by simply following up.

You've documented your attempts- I would just open a separate account in your name and advise the student of the interest being earned, .01-.02 cents a month and be done with it.