If I can close for the right price and what I have been running my models on; I would essentially be paying a smart portion of my mortgage (after I collect from roommates) which is WAY cheaper than my rent in downtown Nashville at my apartment.  

Most importantly, after having helped tens of thousands of investors with data and advice, I can confidently say that you just looking for "a deal" isn't enough - this business isn't a get rich quick scheme, there are no magic lists, no perfect letters, etc.

We use Avail, it tracks rent and collects payments, has maintenance requests portal. 

You can review the tax rates here: http://www.municipalfinance.ri.gov/documents/data/taxrates/2017-Tax-Rates-12-31-16-FINAL.pdf

This information is based on residential data only. 

I certainly would do more to try to collect.

We are looking to hold onto this property for the long haul to collect rent for decades.

How/ what systems are other using to take application, collect application fee payment, and run the background/ credit check report?

The county is going to be the one with the information, other lists may exist but the county is responsible for collecting the taxes so they should be the most accurate

They got better tenants, dealt with all the leases and advertising, collected the rents, and handled the problems so we didn't get the 3am phone calls.