The purchase agreement should have stipulated that rents would be prorated based on the day of closing and that the security deposits would be transferred to you, along with keys, copies of any written lease agreements, tenant payment records, the original tenant application, etc.

Don't concern yourself with the increase over time , you will only set your self up for dissapointment .3.

Continue that cycle until you get a good applicant.

Of course, I do feel some self-pressure to find something, but I realize the fundamentals education alone is probably 6 months to a year.  

She self manages her and her husband's rental portfolio from wherever in the world he's currently stationed on AD. 

If your's contains this you are in good shape.

I wouldn't advise someone in Real Estate to milk applications because even if the pulls combine, the underwriters will still see the number of new accounts, and the AAOA (average age of accounts) will decrease significantly with the number of new accounts being established.

Other people may be able to go higher because they have different strategies like self-performing more of the work, or plan to live in it.

The additional time it would take to self manage a 4 unit portfolio over a 2 unit portfolio is non consequential.

It should be part of your application to disclose all debt.