The ad says both units are rented (although the pictures are from empty units).I know I could inspect after it's in contract, but I am more comfortable seeing the place before I even bid.

If you do what you say will you be doing in adding to the carriage house will it be worth more then you are spending?

We put an ad on Craigslist and had a Swedish foreign exchange student join us, and he actually paid $50 more a month because he wanted to guarantee he'd be chosen, decreasing each of our rent by $25/month.

Don't want to do more paperwork than is necessary but this sounds like and added layer of protection.

Any recommendations for something to consider adding or removing?

I also add keywords to the bottom of the ad because most people use the search function when looking on craigslist.

My question is this, has anyone tried newspaper ads?

Since I am assuming you are only getting the $2,500 rents from the 2 higher priced units that leaves you negative $644/month.However if you are renting right now and are paying more than that it could still be a net gain to you monthly while getting some added tax deductions and building equity in a property.

That's why I added "Also, if you're actively licensed and practicing in any way, shape, or form, you're acting as a real estate agent."

The Beginner's Guide is awesome, but the real gold mine is the forums here!