Also with paying application fees in advance it’s a lot easier for me to trust a bank than a person.

Once you identify what you can build, you can work out a proforma to capture soft cost, hard cost, fees (building, loan, applications -- the list is long).

These units have been vacant now for 2 months and I'm out of ideas on how to market the units to people who will move forward.All four units are 1 bed/1 bath units and I have the following criteria:Fees:$300 security deposit, $50 application fee per adult (18Y+).Criteria as follows:no evictions in the last three (3) years; felonies on a case by case; no sexual offenses; income 2.5 times the rent.Any thoughts or tips would be very helpful!

Lots of contacts, 20+ showings, 3 approved applications and yet still not rented.

Read the contract and any separate agreement (if applicable) concerning the escrow.

If the tenant has applied for rental assistance, the landlord shall cooperate with the tenant's application, by providing all information and documentation required to complete the application, including but not limited to the W-9 form and any supporting affidavits.

You can also work on getting the sale completed while the application is being processed. 

Today, 40 years later, I still use the exact same type application with MS Access 2003. 

These are questions you need to talk to the bank/lender or your broker about prior to application and credit.This is one of those reason why most loans get denied because this is really creative financing and high risk. 

I match the addresses on their application with the addresses on the credit report because some applicants will leave an address out in hopes you won't call their Landlord, or they will provide fake addresses.