I am putting together lists of property owners from listsource to test out a direct mail strategy in my market. 

This was not the only surprise though…We later found out after running the boiler that the house was not winterized properly (which was a chance we took after a failed pressure test during our inspection).

I’m thankful I forged a close friendship with the owner and he didn’t test the market.  

I've been turned down by two who say that it "fails the 5% test", basically saying that the cost of the initial lending fees exceed a statutory limit of 5% of the loan amount.

Who is paying for testing the water for potability and flow?

Susan I always follow one simple test. 

The washed-up English language teacher part of me continues to insist that the proper name of this site should be "Deeper Pockets," following the time-tested collocation.

Based upon my (admittedly remote) analysis, it appears reasonable to find a path to cashflow (at least compared to many other markets), but I think one has to stress-test any analysis with the assumption that property taxes are going to continue to rise on a percentage (not just absolute) basis over the coming years.

Sometimes that solves the problem:- use of plunger- test circuit breakers, bulbs, etc- close shut off valvesI also require tenants to coordinate scheduling appointments with the professionals so I don't have to get in the middle of it. 

This takes time, patience and time spent on-the-ground and in-person to meet people face-to-face, walk/drive the markets and test your assumptions of certain fundamentals.