I read the richest man in Babylon and started following its teachings.

I try and follow you @Steve Vaughan I might have to pick your brain on how to save more!

You want to make sure they remember you but you also don't want to spam them. 5-7 touches is usually a good amount of follow ups. 

For purposes of this section, the following terms have the meanings given:(1) "court official" means a judge, referee, court administrator, prosecutor, probation officer, or victim's advocate, whether employed by or under contract with the court, who is authorized to act on behalf of the court;(2) "qualified third party" means a person, acting in an official capacity, who has had in-person contact with the tenant and is:(i) a licensed health care professional operating within the scope of the license;(ii) a domestic abuse advocate, as that term is defined in section 595.02, subdivision 1, paragraph (l); or(iii) a sexual assault counselor, as that term is defined in section 595.02, subdivision 1, paragraph (k);(3) "qualifying document" means:(i) a valid order for protection issued under chapter 518B;(ii) a no contact order currently in effect, issued under section 629.75 or chapter 609;(iii) a writing produced and signed by a court official, acting in an official capacity, documenting that the tenant or authorized occupant is a victim of domestic abuse, as that term is defined under section 518B.01, subdivision 2, criminal sexual conduct, under sections 609.342 to 609.3451, or stalking, as that term is defined under section 609.749, subdivision 1, and naming the perpetrator, if known;(iv) a writing produced and signed by a city, county, state, or tribal law enforcement official, acting in an official capacity, documenting that the tenant or authorized occupant is a victim of domestic abuse, as that term is defined under section 518B.01, subdivision 2, criminal sexual conduct, under sections 609.342 to 609.3451, or stalking, as that term is defined under section 609.749, subdivision 1, and naming the perpetrator, if known; or(v) a statement by a qualified third party, in the following form:STATEMENT BY QUALIFIED THIRD PARTYI, ....................

I will be following this advice.

You don't even have to follow Fair Housing (FHA) laws, though I wouldn't borrow trouble and say that or tell someone they've been rejected for a reason related to a protected class. 

The highest I could possibly push the rent would be maybe to $1600ish but that would be the absolute high-end. 

How do I go about following through with the rent increase?

After a wonderful weekend trip to Atlanta to check out neighborhoods we want to invest in, we came to the following conclusions.

By following these four pieces of advice, you can get your new business off the ground quickly, learn from mistakes, and build on your successes.