It sounds like you are getting the rent pretty consistently, albeit late.

Consistency and frequency of sending postcards is the key here.Hows the response rate of landing a home owner willing to work with you?

Appreciation is a plus but as long as the properties rent consistently if the market goes up or down I should be ok. 

@Dan Handford recently spoke at a conference about building those relationships and the importance of staying top of mind and getting in front of high net worth individuals with consistent value to them (not selling, just having conversations and you provide value).

In many instances a large portion of the rent is almost guaranteed to hit your pocket each month - again, this may not cover the full amount but they are consistent payments coming in (paid by the government).

(Marketing isn't rocket science but doing it consistently is apparently one of the hardest things in the world. ;)  This one is great on Audible, he has a good narration voice.For negotiation, I highly recommend "Never Split the Difference" by Chris Voss. 

I know that she will get hit hard with taxes if she sells them both and I know that she is awful with money and having consistent monthly income with a baby would be a huge benefit to her.

The people who consistently invest over long periods of time irregardless of economic conditions.  

The only investors that are consistently buying properties in Edmond are buying almost retail priced properties in cash or with large down payments to make the cashflow numbers work.

It’s possible to get into the big leagues with consistent determination and focus, often faster than you may think.