You can look at an elevation map or ask for a previous survey on a property prior to purchase. 

I find that depending on the market $300-500/mo are fairly normal and if compared to what you would pay with a single family home on some utilities, maintenance, and management, it's a good deal.

For my screening criteria - income from all financially responsible applicants is combined and compared to rent.

Whether you should take a retirement distribution or not depends on several factors1) How much do you value the freedom/flexibility to ues the money NOW compared to when you are 60 years old.2) What type of return can you get having cash vs investing in an IRA / SDIRA.If you can make a 1% - 2% better annual return in your personal name, it may make sense as the added return will pay for the penalties over a couple of years.I personally cashed out of my retirement account back in 2016 and it was the best decision I made.

@Ryan Cousins it's really going to depend on YOUR analysis/projections of what you think the property will be worth in the future.You'll want to compare that to any capital gains tax-savings if you sell now.

Compare that to the performance of a new property (with that equity unlocked but also with a different interest rate as @Katie Ripp said).

Kyle there are a ton of options here that you can compare.

New tenant must go through complete vetting, sign the lease, pay security deposit and rent, and move in, prior to the referring tenant getting their $100.

Even if I have a claim every 10 years I will have saved $80k over that time period compared to the people who pay for better insurance.

We’re working in a smaller market like Cornelia, GA, where comparable sales data can be limited, and want to make sure we present a strong case to lenders.