I have a tenant who applied and said they were never evicted.

the terms of the leases in place will dictate what you can and can't do.Chances are there is only 1 water meter, and splitting it 3 ways is usually the beginning of tenant-tenant conflicts.You could probably give somebody a rent credit to take care of the lawn, but if the lawn is generally used as a common area for all tenants, the landlord usually covers that cost.You could always change lease terms when the leases expire - but as a rule, the leases stay with the tenants who are in the property even when a property is sold.

As a rule I just don’t consider cities that have a net population loss.

I found a company that has construction, management and brokerage under 1 roof and operates in Indy, Charlotte and Kansas City..These markets have population >1 Million with consistent growth; Good jobs and low unemployment, inexpensive houses in working class neighborhoods that create returns of at least the 1% rule and are cities with excellent credit ratings allowing them to invest back into the city.My first purchases 5 years ago included visiting the company and interviewing the employees for the systems they use, inspecting the houses and then reviewing the monthly reports once the purchases were made.

is there a rule of thumb estimate %?

(Before the auction)Location: Bayou City Event Center 9401 Knight Road, Houston, TX 77045The Harris County Engineering Department and City of Houston Floodplain Management Office will be offering a short presentation to assist bidders in understanding potential issues with sites located within the floodplain.If you are unsure of the potential challenges that go along with purchasing property in the floodplain, come to this informative session to get answers.The presentation will be followed by a Question and Answer period.Topics include: How to Determine the Floodplain Status of a PropertyWhat Jurisdiction the Property Lies WithinFloodplain Management Rules for Unincorporated Harris County

One philosophy that applies here is the availability of money is more important than the cost of money.

We could probably pass the vacant rule (if I what I read online is correct).

I find it very difficult to buy liens, deeds or redeemable deeds in locations I have not seen or have someone to survey the property for me. 4- not sure...maybe knowing the different rules at each county auction. 

I am not saying that you should not listen to RE agents , but keep in mind that most of them needs to sell at the end of the dayAnother place to visit is the local REI club, tons of useful information and real insights if the marketLast - educate your self as much as possible regarding tenant - landlords rules and regulations for the specific city, try to learn about city cose violations etc... this way you will not be surprised down the road.I also like to recommend BP book by David Greene "long distance investing" it is very useful resource and should prepare you well for ling distance investing.Last - Good luck !!!