I've been interested in real estate investment since college but I've either been without the capital or without the confidence to take the first step.

I edge my odds by not allowing 1) last minute check-ins (must be at least 2 days in advance) 2) No 1 night stays (eliminates partiers) 3) Must have previous good reviews.These will vette 99% of your guests adequately....

What documents do they require, what credit scores do they allow, how do they verify previous rental history, etc.?

A handy search bar in the upper right makes it easy to find previous discussions, blogs, podcasts, and other resources.

I always look back at the previous year, and without fail, the best deals we get are in December and January. 

Hi Harry, as a follow-up to my previous post.  

With a mix of college students, medical professionals, and blue-collar workers, the rental market stays pretty steady.

The first after they acquired my previous management company and the other because I foolishly decided to keep both properties under the same management firm.Funny enough my problems didn’t begin until I assigned the second property to them.

Sometimes there is only great recession data, and that recession was pretty mild on some asset classes, versus previous recessions.

When selling a primary residence you have lived in 2 of the previous 5 years you get a tax exception on profits of $250k for a single person and $500k for a married couple filing jointly.