He said he chooses not to have them renew their yearly lease (and just have them pay/live month to month) because they have no intention of leaving, pay their rent on time every month (sometimes needing an occasional reminder), have family in the area, and he wants them to be at liberty to leave whenever they please (giving him 30 days notice and vice versa).  

We have a tenant who occasionally falls behind by a few weeks because of ongoing medical issues with her son, but we know she's good for it and eventually catches up.

They still raise the rent about 3% a year but their rent prices are still some of the best in town keeping a waiting list for the occasional turnover.

I get 100's of letters and postcards from some of these operators and like to occasionally do a little research.

Occasionally, I need a tow truck to pull me out if I'm stuck.

Back when I rented in the GTA, putting up a yard sign and running a small ad in the local community newspaper was still effective, not as many leads as Kijiji, but did get the occasional tenant from those means.

I know a couple of rehab guys that never look for property unless it falls into their lap, they get the properties they do from wholesalers assigning their contracts to them and look at the MLS stuff only for that occasional deal that shows up. 

I will occasionally find a something that could be worth going after, but typically there is so much risk wrapped into the deal that the returns wouldn't fit my risk profile.

Most of my jobs are self-performed, occasionally I do some subcontracts.

I agree that they can occasionally come up.