IE do you have upper class properties that are in high demand to a wide range of investors.. or is it a narrow niche that is very hands on high touch that maybe there is a smaller market or ability to exit at a good price if one needed to. 

Some opt in to want to work with me and others do not finish the selections which is fine with me.

So selecting a tenant pool segment that stays long is important to have a reliable income and low vacancy cost.Once you select a tenant pool, you buy properties that your target tenant pool is willing and able to rent.

The majority of new loan officers, especially right now, alternate between feast and famine, and right now it's famine season... virtually no one is refinancing, and home purchase transactions are down ~40%, with the 60% that remain not being anywhere close to evenly distributed [80/20 rule].I wish you the best of luck, but make sure you're going into it eyes-wide-open, and assume/plan it takes you six months to close your first deal (you will likely do better than that, but "hope for the best, plan for the worst" is always a good thing to think about).

QuickBooks is a great program for landlords because it allows us to pay a Vendor for a bill that belongs to a tenant, by writing a check to the Vendor, in this case the Water Company, and then selecting the Tenants name from the Customer:Job column on the check.  

I emailed applications- which I learned may have not have been the best approach, since it seems like it slowed down the process a decent amount, but I would like to make a decision and commit to someone so I can take this listing down and be at peace knowing I selected the right tenant for this unit!

For my process, once I receive any communication of interest, I always send them a cut and paste of my requirements (I also have them in the ad, but many people selectively ignore.)

If they opt not to accept the property by declining to timely give you a non-refundable reservation fee or actually sign the lease with a full security deposit and first month's rent THEN AND ONLY THEN should you process the next applicant.You should not process multiple people and select one subjectively; you're asking for trouble with fair housing when someone claims they were discriminated against.Offer the property to the first one that applies that meets your written standards for qualification.

You're only as strong as your weakest link ... select your partners wisely. 

It is a per clean payment for all the ones we've used since typically the amount of stays per month can vary widely.