Either the applicant is using someone else' identity and doesn't know the answers or someone has stolen their identify and done things the applicant is unaware of. 

Although each one is almost identical, you can almost tell which one has a home tax payer living in it as opposed to a tenant by the landscaping on the outside.

Yes, things will not be identical after 3 years.  

Steve, if you send me a check down here, I can call your bank and see if there are sufficient funds to clear that check, I simply ask for clearance on that amount and account number. ...Bill, these days banks aren't always doing that due to the prevalence of identity theft.

No, without a ton in advance and verification of employment for both

@Arthur Banks I tried to use rentapllication.net for checks but I had to go through this entire verification process and send in all this documentation on my business just to do tenant screening.

Yes, its very common for apartment complex's and such to require atleast the deposit to be verifable funds, cashiers check, money order, ect.

If there are dozens of "for rent" signs on identical units, you're looking at long vacancies and falling rents.

Also remember this when comparing rents - two nearly identical places, one renting for $1,000/month, the other for $1,100/month - rented just about the same time.

SSN validation "free" links:http://www.ssnvalidator.com/http://www.bestpeoplesearch.com/free-ssn-verification/m-freessn,message.aspxhttp://www.searchbug.com/peoplefinder/verify-ssn-free.aspxAnother example of why I dislike these services that do not give you a complete credit report; you don't have enough info to be certain of the decision you make in this particular circumstance.With the above links, you can validate that the SSN was actually issued to somebody (but can't determine who) and that the somebody who received it is not dead.