@Adam Trantow - Love the Wash Heights area for investment properties, but how far west can you really go for good, solid tenants?

I listed and sold a house that had seen 50 years of smokers... we hired a local company to use ozone machines for three days, and it completely eliminated the smoke smell. 

Also it keeps the machine working well. 

I take 300 mile boat trips, 200 mile snow machine trips at-20 degree temps, and bask in the sun in Thailand every couple years or so.  

The county does hold the overbid, excess fund but washes its hands on the redemption transaction.   

@Matthew PaulDoes your neighbor want to buy the house or was he just venting his frustrations?

Easy do, but while deleting an app can give you a clean slate, you don't need to go as far as to uninstalling them in order to turn your phone into an energy-efficient machine.

Wash down all surfaces with TSP (walls, floors, cupboards etc.), remove all material like rugs, curtains, furniture etc. and hope for the best.

Subprime was a large contributor to the crash, but borrowers treating their houses like ATM machines,  lenders providing the capital with guidelines written by  Wall St hedge fund guys who were steady buying the paper while being egged on by legislators was what caused the crash. http://fortune.com/2015/06/17/subprime-mortgage-recession/

Towels & candles in the bathrooms (Hobby Lobby), colorful flowers (not fake) & red candles in the kitchen (add some color) curtains for the kitchen and bedrooms (IKEA), Items from the Dollar Store, any 2nd hand store but make sure you wash the item and it doesn't smell and is in good shape.