(Due to some financial issues with him in the past, I'm not willing to cosign for him)  Would a rental agreement with the roommates suffice? 

@Sebastien Tinsley Just copy & pasting this from thread I replied to for another young person looking to startWith little experience, it's better that you invest locally vs OOS - unless you want to invest a LOT of time learning another market and networking with th right people.Locally, look for a 2-4 unit property that will qualify for FHA 203(k) financing.- This will allow low down payment and the 203(k) allows repairs to be financed into the purchase mortgage.- The 203(k) will allow you to bid on properties that need repairs that won't qualify for a traditional mortgage => less competition => better purchase price.You will need to find a great local contractor you can trust to supply the required bids to qualify for the 203(k).- After closing, you can do some of the work yourself to save money, but the program doesn't allow you to pay yourself.You will want to buy a Class B property, maybe Class C+, in an area that seems to be improving.

I looked into the town of Catskill itself and what stumped me was the requirement for the host to be available within 30 min by automobile while occupied.

I am desperate to get this tenant out of the property and collect all past due rent.

Haha, but you know what they say - past performance is no guarantee of future results. 

Past performance is no indication of future results.

You cut and paste your realtor emails into a post here.These are so obvious.

As you're very aware, appreciation here locally has skyrocketed in the past ~4 years.

In the past I would often show investors 1-2-3 properties without a buyer's rep agreement as we got to know each other. 

Wondering what we can do here to get past this.