Realtors are your best source of business but they want to get paid just like everyone else, they deal with owners everyday that don't want to pay commissions, don't want to short sale and want a better investment.Also Realtors deal with buyers who don't currently qualify for traditional financing and they are walking away from these potential opportunities.Our company LeaseOwn Homes charge a minimum 5k or 3% of the purchase price for the option fee upfront and we pay realtors up to 50% of that depending if they bring the buyer or seller or both.Also we charge 2% per year as the balance of our option fee paid at time of purchase of the property and give the realtor 25% or 50% see above.This motivates realtors to work with you and by taking care of realtors they will give you warm leads and will help you close them.Again a win-win.

Going through a traditional lending institution is not a good choice since it will take atleast 30 days to get an approval.

Vacancy -Banks like to see 8% but a range from 8-10% is good.Garbage - Some communities bill this separate or combine it with water.Cost that people forget are snow & ice maintenance, village license and inspection costs, accounting, and annual preventative maintenance.   

It states that 'tenant shall pay for all utilities, cinluding, but not limited to: electricity, heat, telephone, fire alarm changes, heat system maintenance costs, janitorial and cleaning charges and snow removal from xxx street in front of premises. and then in another section goes into more detail that I shall be responsible for 'normal maintenance of such items including, but not limited to heating and air conditioning systems' He said that the heating system is only two years old and that if something was broken beyond repair it would be on him but it is written out and sounds like there should be more detail. opinion? 

After this fiasco with a landlord, and the fact that our family has grown over the years, we dont want to rent, but at the same time we cant qualify for traditional financing either.

Usually those that are active in community events are more likely to offer recommendations, plus they know more people than you can imagine, which only broadens the reach of your marketing.I hope that helps and maybe gives you some ideas on how to get out of the traditional "newsletter marketing cycles" as I call them.Adam 

They are snowing you.

The point is there are other "non-traditional" options that you can use.Again, rectify up your personal finances and you will be in a much better position.

And that is a problem, if your goal is investment as it is traditionally defined, rather than a job operating a rental housing concern.I have a modest little house that rents for $1200 in my newest lease.  

Note investing definitely takes a little bit more savvy than traditional investing, but if you are willing to put in the time and educate yourself on it, the returns can be great.