This is a really good question.If I had to choose a public figure, I think I'd go with Barbara Corcoran.

There is no expectation of privacy in a public place. 

Become familiar with pricing, public records searches, tax assessors sites, just fill your brain with all things real estate.5.

Maybe taking advantage is the wrong word because they might be charging what they can based on supply/demand of the general public but I am determined to find a small to medium sized shop that is more flexible and can appreciate the volume we bring. 

Or your building may have a "surprise" issue that costs you tens of thousands of dollars to fix (but hopefully one has healthy cash reserves to cover these issues when they pop up).Also, past performance itself is easier to see transparently with a rental property than with a publicly-traded company.Even as a CPA, sometimes when I read the financial statements and annual reports of publicly-traded companies, I'm left wondering what kind of tricks they're playing on the inside to make themselves look better than they really are.But with a property, the due diligence is a lot more straightforward.But of course all these advantages of property come at the cost of investing a significantly larger portion of your wealth into a single, illiquid asset than you would if you wanted to invest in a single, liquid stock.Anyway I rambled a bit there, but my personal philosophy is that both equities and real estate are incredible wealth-building tools, but similar to @Andrew Johnson I am much more "active" in real estate.

lolThe rule of thumb I've heard is that they are suitable for homes with public sewage but not for homes with a drainfield because they debris they create fills up the tank.That being said, I grew up in a home with a drainfield and a garburator (I think I like that word!)

@Chris Pohlson - I've tried calling the landline that was on public records but no one answered which makes sense as they don't live there.

No a lease is not a publicly recorded lien and will not show up when your lender pulls credit.

Not sure how far back you can go, but this info should be public record and fairly easy to access by just reaching out to your utilities.

Hello Kyle,In my opinion it's always best to use professional help when dealing with general public, especially tenants.