Its also within 30 minutes of Springfield, OH, which in itself is 3x larger than Troy Not disagreeing, but Ohio does not have public transit to speak of.

Do not return their security deposit because the pictures the tenant sent you should suffice in court to explain to the judge why their security deposit was not given back. 

Hard money lenders many times will let you invest in their short term debt.. ( these are commercial purpose)One thing I get a lot of is direct mail.. its exactly the same method that real estate wholesalers use.they search public records.. get lists of private owners of notes.. ( usually the target is a seller carry back) and then they blast out direct mail offering to buy the note from the current note holder.. the pitch in 99% of those is all the same  same buzz words..

I'm not necessarily new to the website or forums, but I feel ready now to reach out to the community and get involved with all these smart/experienced people.I currently work full-time in a business development manager role with a security/alarm company.

The last public record was a foreclosure back in 2009.

I haven't personally owned a property where tenants were on public assistance, but I have managed one or two units out of a large inventory that did.

Think of all the things that could go wrong and see if the lease addresses them: unauthorized pets or tenants, early termination, security deposit, lease violations, late rent, eviction, lawn maintenance, parking, etc.5.

BUT I would keep the security deposit to change itDid you get the security deposit?

Should I explore different avenues or are there any tips/ideas someone could provide me with securing a home below market value in an area that homes are selling like water(not literally of course).Appreciate the help!

@THU NGUYEN We always use Betsi Horan with Secured Risk Insurance in The Woodlands