Local Legislation: Do you keep a close eye on local regulations, especially around zoning and short-term rentals?

I won't bash them too hard, because once in a blue moon there are actual deals you can come across, but having a second filter/eyes on the deal can really be great insurance against buying a dud.

On the day of closing, we drove Anna and her son to finalize the sale, then immediately took them to the airport to catch their flight to Las Vegas.The most rewarding part of this experience came at the airport when Anna hugged us, crying tears of joy.

Some posters eyes will open up when they realize you're doing just what the Columbus Cartel is doing but trying to be the victim and sly about it.I'll wrap it up on here too. 

I'm going to put this on a list of leading indicators/warning signs to keep an eye on.

However, if new tax legislation is passed, it could extend or change these rules, so keep an eye on any updates. 

But I do really like @Jesse Turner's idea of "review intercept" for catching bad reviews before they're posted so you can try to change their mind. 

Something else that caught my eye in one of the replies I received.

Housing prices in two of our larger cities (Vancouver and Toronto) are also crazy high (eg $1M to buy a starter home)...actually in Vancouver proper at the moment the cheapest home (single family, not strata) is $1.2M...surprisingly (to me) in Toronto the cheapest home on the market is $650K (ignoring some listed for $1 as clearly there is a catch).Our mortgages work differently than in the US, and what we get for rates are only locked in for 1-5 years (typically) and then we have to renew at whatever the current rates are. 

.: Quote from @Frank Arjun:They gave me minimal paperwork, the whole thing reeked of a scam, I was just too stupid to catch itI agree that you bear personal responsibility for what happened.