Most of my tenants have large dogs, but I advertise well-trained family dog considered, and I like to meet the dog to make sure it is mature, well-behaved, good interaction between dog and owners, and not aggressive toward me (or my dog if I bring him along).

In this real estate game thick skin is required and if you think anything said here was rude then wait till you start interacting with sellers, buyers and contractors on a regular basis.

Do your research and figure out what your goals are, what you can invest upfront, and what level of interaction you are looking to have with your investment. 

Small groups with lots of interaction and consistent weekly growth would be my best advice.

Ensure everyone who interacts with applicants is trained well on current Fair Housing policies.Keep screening policies pertaining to arrest records and criminal history specifically related to safety of persons and property.

You, as a landlord, are entitled to directly order credit, criminal, and eviction reports directly without tenant interaction.  

utm_source=search&utm_medium=internal&utm_campaign=books (books recommended by BPers)Before making your 1st REI purchase please visit the link below for some useful tipshttps://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2014/12/19/real-estate-investing-success-smart-tips/Simply, bone up on the areas that you need to expand knowledge in such as, Forums, Marketplace, Learn, Network, Analyze and Resources.Feast on the Podcasts, #askbp Podcasts, blogs and webinars Lastly, this site thrives on interactions and as such we encourage two way exchanges and look forward to educational and thought provoking ideas relevant to REI.

My hope is to not only reach my goal, but to become as experienced as others here and pay it forward by finding others like me to help someday.Look forward to interacting with others, networking, making new friends and finding financial freedom. 

I look forward to interacting and meeting other investors on this site.

Brandon Turner I am sure you are already the MASTER OF THE DEAL. . . and this is a good discussion, and here is my 0.02 from a noob RE investor& dealmaster:We all negotiate to get through our daily interactions, be it bosses, spouses, friends. . . . . . and even though I wear my heart on my sleeve.