Four kids don't know how to maintain a home and it's more likely to result in damages, drama, early termination, or other problems.My policy is that applicants need to make a combined income of 3x the rent.

It seems to have become policy to make it as difficult as possible to find out that your applicant is a bum.

#1 - Ask the applicant to provide you with a copy of the court order showing the amount of child support ordered.

I then re-do another loan application, and get it all started, and it looks like it's going to go through.

@Brian Ellis thanks for the info. sounds like a bunch of red tape.

How would you handle marketing, showings, screening applications?

Here's words to live by, when choosing a G.C or tradesman always go to a job in progress and visit a completed job of your applicants.

One thing I will add.I got this advice from a friend who owns and manages a 20 unit unit apt building.Check out the background of an applicant at marylandjudiciary.com  While hiring management is my first choice, this is a great free resource.

Question: If I list home on zillow how do the application fees work and what is the best way to find a tenant?

Simply enter some information to view projected key return on investment (ROI) metrics, including cash flow, cash-on-cash return, net operating income, and cap rate.Minimize risk by investing in a pre-inspected, turnkey rental property with a tenant in place to earn cash flow beginning the day the deal closesBegin the loan application process early, because sometimes lenders require more paperwork than when you’re financing in your home stateHire a good local property manager who has experience working with out of state investors.While buying out of state rental property does come with some risk, investing the right way helps to minimize those risk while maximizing the overall returns of your property portfolio:Key reasons for investing out of state include increasing cash flow and portfolio diversification.Affordability, matching markets with investment strategy, and property affordability are three advantages to buying real estate out of state.Turnkey rental property and a local property manager help to reduce the risk of investing outside of your home state.I am a real estate agent and investor in TX.Katy, Cypress, Spring, some parts of Houston, Conroe, Tomball, Pearland are great markets.Rent growth and appreciation is steady.These cities tend to command quality tenants, and they have great schools.Get in touch with a local agent or investor and shorten your learning curve and save you a lot of headaches as they tend to understand the market better.All the best!