It's a ticking time bomb. 

I owned for 37 years, raised the rent many times, and later sold for 6X what I paid. 

USDA does not.If you have a job gap (6+ months of unemployment) on an FHA loan, then you have to go back 2 years prior to the job gap AND be back to work for 6 months before you are eligible.How to avoid this? 

It sounds like you've done a great job in investing in yourself and taking personal risks. 

If you have evidence of the damage, it is unlikely the tenant will spend the time and money to take you to court.

there are times in every cycle for certain strategies. 

If there were ever a time to shop multiple carriers and even multiple agents (if necessary), that time is now. 

Hi, Jorge - My MTRs are in California, too, and we have exceptionally high bills in the summer time especially for AC usage.

Fix it.We eliminate as much landscaping as possible: we take out flower beds and most decorative features, ideally, lawn mowing is the only job tenants have to do, because we know that's all we can expect from most.

Wasting Time - @Fareen E.