I would definitely have a red flag raised for future dealings with this tenant if they didn't own up to it. 

It's vitally important to know who you are working with, and have the history of the players involved.

Also Look at Jim Abbott the baseball player. 

And when it comes to a company pressuring you not to do your due diligence, that should be an enormous red flag. 

Hes one of the bigger " players" in Ft Myers, also owns ( I assume still does) Social, top " clubs/ restaurants there.

Unfortunately, there are several barriers, including finding a seller willing to accept this loan, a lot of lender red tape, and then coordinating a qualified/licensed contractor to do all the work.

The fact that the property manager leased it without collecting a deposit is a huge red flag when they are only placing a tenant. 

Quote from @Gash Nookala: David has the right idea about building a team, but the most important player on that team is the property manager.

One partner has over 10 years of experience with 2000 Unit, and next one has about 900 units as GP, and the rest of us were first time multifamily players. 

The only part that is a red circle is the male's background check shows  criminal records in 2019.