Depending on income, this is hole that he could dig himself out of rather quickly.I also would highly recommend Dave Ramsey for this particular type of situation, though I'd be careful not to adopt Dave's credit is evil mentality.

In at least one case I think the tenant might have been mentally ill/had dementia and the family member didn't want that to be known, which is understandable. 

I have exhausted all of my assets to get this downpayment and 6 months of reserves and don't have any other assets :(Sounds like we might need to both get on the loan for this to work out.

It takes mental practice to not *Keep up with the Joneses* especially once you and your friends start getting jobs after college with high salaries and paychecks.Take calculated risks.

You better know how to deal with 2nd and 3rd generation welfare mentalities.

Just being around these kinds of people will give you that mental kick to take the next step and make the leap of faith you need.

So far I’ve exhausted all the free resources and that wasn’t much help.

It's a mental exercise of; if you were hit by a bus tomorrow, what would happen?

That mentality of "it is build to code" or "I used licensed professionals so it is fine" is really incorrect thinking.

(SEE: Emotional Support Animal Materials for Landlords)First, in evaluating whether the person making the request has a disability, landlords should know that a disability is “physical or mental impairment” that “substantially limits a major life activity.”