I designated shelves in the refrigerator and shelves in the kitchen cabinets for their exclusive use.  

I would also that once a building is more than 5-10 years old, I'd rather buy a well designed, well built well maintained older property than something was built more recently but not taken care of.Due diligence is key for all of this.

I would hear the sob stories that tenants would approach my parents with and my parents would always "work" things out with their tenants.  

I was approached last week by a nice young couple from Latin America who are getting advanced degrees.

Obviously that is not the only way to approach the situation but I think it's not a bad way to go about it.

. --- a very creative approach with the key trick :).

If it is not your intent to inforce your lease as written you should rewrite your lease.I consider this to be a professional approach to our business.

It's good you're approaching real estate with a long-term mentality and taking your time to orient yourself rather than dive in seeking quick riches.

The best approach to do it correctly is to systematize everything.And in that respect, it makes sense to use the same template.You can adjust that template as you go along.There is no point reinventing the wheel.Which is what effective flippers do. 

Before I buy a property, I want to take actionable steps now to set myself up for success, including researching lenders and knowing who I will be working with and their refinancing terms.When looking for new lenders, how do you approach them to find this information out?