Do her paystubs show no income or erratic hours and they're trying to paint the picture of an employee that has regular hours? 

Knowing the basics of real estate, why RE has value, how to add value, what laws are applicable, knowing the customs and why they matter is where to start.

How to determine/set your goals as a borrower- if you have goals in place, a lender will have a clearer picture on defining terms and a strategy for you to scale your investing career.

The second home lending advisor was patient with my questions and provided top notch customer service so I was keen to stay with the second home lending advisor. 

This used to be easier to do before the eviction moratorium; in some states judges aren't even willing to hear these cases.I'd apologize to the new tenants, change the locks and if the former tenant shows up again, tell her to get off your property or the law will be called on her.If she wants to pursue legal action against you (claiming an "illegal eviction") your pictures, history of attempts to contact, etc. will be your evidence that you covered your bases regarding this matter.Gail

I am planning to replace the carpets with luxury vinyl flooring in both the living space shown in the picture and the bedroom.

If a place looks like something that I can handle from pictures alone do I need to ask for disclosures first or can I do that in the contingency period?

a) 234 sf is really small....picture a 15 x 15 room.

Just a few thoughts: - Get a thorough inspection- Get 3-5 estimates from GCs- Pick the right ‘genre’ of GC (fourplex and smaller usually falls under midsize or smaller GCs) - Always check license numbers and if you’re repairs or more than $25k, request references/info for 3 past similar projects with pictures or check social media and reviews - Get a service agreement in place before finalizing your deal and make sure the estimates cover everything in your inspection report and nothing is overlooked so there’s not as much unexpected cost that pops up.

Those first couple pictures frames what people think of the property and whether they will stay there or not.