Its just run down and full of crack dealers living in the mansions right now.

If you don't want to be actively involved with scumbags that will trash your property; that will sue you; that will occassionally threaten you; that will occassionally be drug dealers; etc, then this business is not for you.

Regarding employment verification, unless you look up the company in the phone book, and call the published number to locate a Human Resources person or a Manager (without asking for the person named as supervisor on the application), you run the risk of getting purely false information.

It's difficult not to let human sided creep in.

I can hook you up with my AFEX dealer in Melbourne if you want an intro. 

Just look at the slums in NYC and Boston when you concentrate a welfare stateTheir new slogans are "HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT"  Their answer when asked how are you suppoesed to afford that?

There are "discount" stores, surplus/outlet stores and habitat for humanity "restores" in my area that have great deals, but a very spotty selection.  

If you think about it you have 2 offers one has 500 EM  the other has 5 thousand they are both pre approved everything else is the same.. which do you think will win... its was very basic human nature.. and especially in the 90's here in Oregon and SW Washington were it was un heard of to put up more than 1k...

Humans are notoriously bad at getting their heads around "sunk costs" and dealing with them in a logical and financially optimal manner.  

I have a good friend who's a broker there and a gem of a human, I'd love to introduce you.