And right now there is a shortage of good contractors and good subcontractors who will be on the low end of the pricing scale.I've kind of moved away from flips (even though I have been flipping for 12 years now) and it is so much easier and profitable now with the urban townhome developments.Most of the flippers that I see around me are losing money.

Converting people from a "poor" mindset to one of "contributing member of society" is a process.  

While Section 8, or "Housing Choice Vouchers" are a Federal program coming out if the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Counties and Cities (over 50,000 population) are free to set their own rules, as long as they don't violate Federal guidelines.

Here are my questions:(1)  Is it an urban myth, or is it illegal for me "a friend of mine" to look into a tenant's mailbox as part of an investigation like the one described above?

.- If vouchers are shifted from urban areas, landlords who currently own Section 8 properties in those areas could have more difficulty renting their properties.

You're discounting the very real possibility they could get low bono or pro bono representation through either the local legal aid society, who typically hates landlords, or a local chapter of the ACLU, if they are particularly sob-worthy people.But that is beside the point, as I think your recommendation for question reform is a good one.

I haven't even looked at whether this is allowed in our city and even if city allows I highly doubt our historical preservation society would approve...last year the house across from my rental got into a legal mess with the HPS on the window trim color...ugh...In this property I have six spots.Last tenant parked in that spot didn't complain.I was in that spot for a couple of weeks last October and didn't notice and I notice everything. 

It's a sad statement about our business and society in general.The reason bad tenants even exist is because our business is riddled with hobby landlords that do not care about anyone but themselves.

You are right no one trusts a landlord, Landlords are not a trustworthy segment of business society, akin to the loan shark business. 

I think books like this will be the new darling of the liberal professors ( taking the place of books like Nickled & Dimed)  as our society is being told that no matter how many bad decisions you make including but not limited to failure to get the right education or job skills...having kids before you can afford them etc...housing is a RIGHT and an entitlement and at a price they think they should pay...it can't hurt to read a book like this to understand the changes that may be coming...might make an investor want to consider other options than buy and hold...forewarned is forearmed