Since you are essentially only focused on half of the business you should have relationships with your buyers.

The contractor put in staples every 6 inches.  

If flood insurance is required, I don't think you'll get close.As a newbie, it has taken me awhile to figure out that I can't just take the rental income, divide it in half and ASSUME that's what my expenses will be.  

I am completely unfamiliar with tax code and will be reporting the income for half of 2014 next year.Any help is appreciated.Tiffany

Great, that means that we need to carve off an extra 2-4 inches from the sides to get the 9-10" poles in. 

At one point I rented a home only 40 miles away and it was a 2 and a half hour commute each way.So given all of this info, is it reasonable to purchase an investment property as a renter?

Finding motivated sellers is half the battle.

Around here PM's typically charge half to a full months rent to fill a vacancy.

My lawyer said that the best way to proceed is to get her for non-payment and file for eviction.Today she is due to pay the second half portion of the pet deposit($250/500). 

This video explains it in a minute and a half.