For example, many prohibit building sheds, which is an easy value add.

However, if in doubt, refer to your local state laws.

Glad you made an intro here in the forums.Are you referring to the meetup hosted by @Adrien S. of Invest NWI?

Bruce, Especially because you do not have an existing relationship with anybody, I must suggest that when doing your research make sure to ask for references from folks that have actually filed a claim with the carrier that you are interested in.  

BUT the ordinance in independence is extremely easy to pass.

Our start wasn’t easy, fell into our first rental – it was a failure…however the learning experience helped get us to where we are today.

To have them cosign, do I just have one or both parent fill out a rental application, and I just check their references and credit just as I would any normal tenant?

I'll throw out 3 fairly easy and FREE optionsOption 1:  Directionally you can use Zillow, Redfin, etc. 

Is it easy to rent?

I thought an easy turn-key rental was a safe first purchase, and Bossier City where I bought isn't an expensive market and has Barksdale Air Force Base, strong growth and new tech jobs moving in.