Utilities are generally public and you can call them to get averages, taxes are public as well and can be pulled either from a assessor website or at their office, insurance companies can give you cash value and replacement value quotes by giving them an address, general rule for running calculations for vacancy is 5-10% of gross income, I have seen maintenance expenses all over the map (anywhere from $300-750 or a % of the rent - those vary depending on the number of doors in the deal as well as how much deferred maintenance has to be dealt with or how much rehab you are going to do to negate the deferred maintenance), contracted services, call a few landscapers and get quotes and use those for your analysis. 

. - Have the funds lent to you, secured by your primary residence as a private mortgage, and it's no longer a gift.

A recent podcast highlighted how much information can be obtained from public records.

You can usually get this done with a copy of a signed lease and  the security deposit check. 

looks like you no longer have this issue.But in the future if it happens again what's been mentioned so far - screen the new tenant, fill out application form, collect app fee, and have all existing tenant sign.IN ADDITION, make sure the existing tenants and new tenant understand, and include into the addendum if necessary, that all claims, damages and deposits are shared by all tenants from this day forward.That means if you see a broken window and need to charge them for repairs tenant C can't say oh it's broken before I moved in.Or if tenant B moves out and six months later you charge a deduction in the security deposit on a hole in the wall behind the couch he says the hole wasn't there when he moved out so it's not coming out of his deposit.At the end of the lease when you refund the deposit it will be a check to "A B and C" jointly regardless of who might be there or not at the end of the lease. 

The resolution calls on the city manager to launch an educational campaign including:Best practices regarding educational and marketing campaign strategiesOutreach activities in areas where populations at risk are being targetedPotentially include a hotline to refer homeowners to a “Real Estate Agent List” and a list of legal resourcesA campaign work plan that includes a timeline for implementation and identification of both public and private funding options and potential partnerships

I work a safe, secure, well paying, dead end job.

So far I've met with a real estate lawyer who built my contracts and developed a program which pulls all the city of LA public delinquent property information from the county assessor's website.

Should I get a contract or security deposit?

Think of all the things that could go wrong and see if the lease addresses them: unauthorized pets or tenants, early termination, security deposit, lease violations, late rent, eviction, lawn maintenance, parking, etc.5.