In addition, we don't want to do alot of work to check out an applicant, call to tell them they are accepted, and have them say "never-mind, I already found a place somewhere else"...

Must have relationship with them/ know them etc. check out this web site past articles on this subject.

You might want to check out our discussion of this very subject at:http://forums.biggerpockets.com/viewtopic.php?

A third, and another one you really need to be aware of, and may not be able to find out a whole lot about is an empty reserve fund, that will have to be filled, and maybe suddenly, to fund necessary repairs and maintenance.Before you do anything, google homeowner association forums to discover some of the problems some homeowners across the country are facing.

DRIVE- best way of finding property is to take long drives into areas that you may or may not know-unknown streets and cities. generally when you see overgrown grass and general unkept look you've found a possible deal. thats one way, the other is to look in the RE books in the market and checkout realtor listings,get 2-3 books.lastly is google "foreclosure listings" in your area. you have got to your end of the legwork- otherwise the deals will pass you by.

Here is a suggestion.Use Google to find all the folks in your area that have website.

I have googled it and haven't found a clear answer.

I typically rehab and flip lower end ($50K-$70K) houses, several of my buyers speak almost no english (heck that's why "google" has free translations) but always pay on time and those houses pay like the devil!

For Lease Options in Florida you might want to check out the naked-investor (no it's not perverted... well, not too much) forum by Michael Carbonare who is based in Florida and has been involved with LOs for a long time.

I happened across this forum when I randomly decided to google "real estate investing forum", and I must say, it is a veritable treasure trove of information.A little about myself: I'm 23 and getting my marketing degree from University of Illinois at Chicago in six months.