Maybe they plan on donating the furniture (and you can call to schedule) or if the furniture is nice, and the market allows for it, you can buy the furniture from them and rent the unit furnished.  

Tell her this is to make sure she can afford the place.

I am new to the real estate investing market and want to start learning about the different options and what would be the best fit for me based on my needs and what I can afford.

You'll be able to afford real marketing campaigns, lead gen services, etc., to where you can really get some ROI going.

.- Labor and materials are so high that you can only build in the luxury market, making affordable housing mathematically impossible.With that said, we are seeing some cracks in the market:- Buyer fatigue is real.- Some buyers are pushing back.  

Should I write him a letter or should I first check to see if I can afford the home?

We are wondering what’s the best way to receive furniture (couch, beds, etc.) when we aren’t there?  

This can be a major value point to a property owner/seller.Think of these people being in a problem and needing to sell their home but can not afford to fix everything nor has the time to list it.I suggest keeping this mindset and finding a way to talk to the owners of these properties.

"I have kids and a mortgage and I cant afford to take chances".  

The apartment had mixed reviews but it had more spaces with affordable rent, so we could save more money.