You need to know if there is an inherently dangerous situation like bare wires or broken windows or even a bad water leak. 

I didn't think this would be a concern (units have been selling very quickly in the neighborhood), but for a number of reasons unit #2 still hasn't gone under agreement.At this point my closing date has been pushed back 3 times, and I'm getting dangerously close to the end of my rental agreement (1/27).Is this "50% rule" unavoidable in this circumstance, or are there lenders who would be willing to overlook it?  

Danger is the bank calling the note due. 

And Eastie is dangerous...so much hype there, its easy to overpay 

If it's W2, and either base salary or hourly with you expected to work full time hours, and it ballpark lines up with your employment history as career progression in the same industry, it can be used before it appears on tax returns.If it checks some of the above boxes, but not all, then we're in "it depends" territory:- A former lawyer that used to make $100k/yr that is now trying to say they make $175k/yr as a janitor working for his father in law... probably not going to fly.- A project manager at XYZ Tech that got poached by ABC Wizardry to be a project manager with a significant pay-bump, and the borrower/employee is not a relative of the new employer, that'll typically work just fine.

This comes with the territory of renting in those areas. 

She wants to move somewhere where she will have 5+ acres, be near a river, not too hot, not too much rain, not too cold, and not dangerous.

It sucks that rates have went up so much, but that's the basic territory. 

Before I found bigger pockets I felt so very lost and was in danger of making an ugly deal.Since bigger pockets, I have started to put money aside to build capital for my first investment.

The rental demand is there in Waterbury because it is a city in a central location and there are areas of that city that are straight up dangerous so the good areas will always have a pool of candidates.