Explore my personal favorites, Set For Life by Scott Trench or The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey, for invaluable financial insights.3.

The Landlord will verify that the rental is empty of all personal belongings and trash and that there is no damage beyond ordinary wear and tear. 

I'm never going to use your website because I already have personal relationships with people doing that work.

In high-cost markets like Chicago, that can be tough to meet.If you're looking at a duplex, the self-sufficiency test doesn’t apply, so you’d just need to qualify based on your personal income and the rental income your lender allows.If your current lender isn’t familiar with making FHA work in your situation, it might be worth getting a second opinion from someone experienced with FHA multi-unit financing.

Your IRA can borrow, but you have to be careful to not personally guarantee it.

Personal Guarantee: Will you require this?

And always check social media for red flags and I agree with Vince, always meet a person.  

Any insights or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!

The challenge was balancing the relationship between landlord/tenant and a personal/friendly relationship.

Did you give her written permission to store personal items outside in a common area?