Whatever your answer is, it will get you thinking on if and how to proceed into the commercial real estate world.All that being said, my general answer is YES, it is a good strategy.First step should be to start educating yourself about commercial real estate, how its valuation is based on profitability and not strictly on comps, how to leverage the power of partnerships to get large deals done through syndication, how job and population growth start playing a big role when evaluating markets to invest in, etc. 

Not sure about your local laws, but in Ohio you can garnish.

Okay I will be investing in a house at the end of this month with my father-in-law.

There are no laws that make you have insurance on your rental property.

@Valerie Copeland yes, perhaps that is a "wiser" decision for the reasons you listed but I do not think you should be deterred from analyzing and (possibly) putting offers on properties strictly due to the fact that either it was no tenant or has a bad tenant.

I just did a quick google search and Baltimore County requires all rentals to have hard-wired smoke detectorshttps://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/News/PoliceNews/...In addition Baltimore REIA has an article which indicates that the city requires hard-wired smoke detectors as well:http://www.baltimorereia.com/smoke-detector-law/If you read the Baltimore REIA article carefully it lays out when battery powered detectors must be upgraded to hard-wired but of course you should not solely rely on their article.

The largest portion was a draw from my MOTHER-IN-LAW'S IRA - that I had to redeposit within 60 days or pay an additional 40% of the loan in taxes.

I am still learning the ropes, and I view this transaction as my training wheels into off market deals with strict criteria.

completely depends on your state/city laws.

It sounds like your problem tenant may really know their way around the law and an eviction attorney who is good will get them out quicker and smoother in most cases.