@Tracy Royce  in this business if your doing any volume your dealing with one or two of these a year.Always tough.. although what I finanally learned is that it rarely gets better you just need to bite the bullit and follow the letter of the law.NOt sure about protected class. but I have one right now in my market that could go that way.it took me 18 months to close and it was my first suit for specific performance in 42 years in the business... phase two is to move this person out.its a city lot the house was so bad I paid over 60k in city code enforcement fines to close escrow. that's just the fines folks..

@Ryan Klemetson I skip the lawyer most of the time in IL (you must have one in IA, and I review my own contracts and then close at the title company and have them perform the title search, rather than paying the lawyer to do it.

Maybe it is because I was consistent with my creative marketing with my open houses. 

Having said that, I have a self-directed IRA and am using it to invest in performing promissory note (Some education on performing notes).  

It's great for something like what you need, and also great for anonymity and consistency.

Consistent action, and patience will get you anywhere you want to be.Good luck, hope to connect with you once I'm in the area.

I have a referral for you for stabilized performing rentals with @Chris Erwin

And I know it is not good practice to not account for property management in the expenses, but at the outset (early years of ownership for our first few properties) should I discount expenses based upon performing our own property management to add the 10% property management to our cashflow?

My issue is that the duplex consistently rented and making money, but my maxed out credit cards are killing my debt to income ratio.

None of the other top performing markets (based on appreciation) have similar infrastructure in place or coming on line.