Since this thread, we also purchased the adjacent vacant lot to these (to the left in the photo) and plan another duplex.. 

The tricky part is getting a tenant to sign a lease and most times the listing broker, leasing office or Landlord will require that you attend all showings which means  you are busting your butt, showing the prospective tenant lots of apartments- all for a nominal amount. 

What I do, is come in and create a powerful marketing package for that property, including photos and video if needed, and I target those renters who I've been working with, and it seems to be working great!

The photo is had to judge, but those certainly aren't 1:3 slopes, maybe 1.5:1 to 2:1.

I grew up, live and work in Denver, Colorado, but spent almost a decade away in Boston for school (at Tufts), a startup (now defunct, called Junctions), and then three years afoot exploring the world, taking photos, sailing and leading cycling tours.I am very green in this industry, and am excited by the resources and expertise to be found here at BiggerPockets.

.* Nominal fee, think of it as discount points to get the killer VA rate without being a veteran. * Tougher to get through if your income/credit/asset situation is wonky, because you're trying to qualify for a mortgage by going through a glorified debt collections agency call center type setup (what is mortgage loan servicing, but that?)

Take photos of every surface, inside and out, including close-ups of every defect and imperfection.

And if I am correct you are only getting taxed at a passive income rate on interest owed when lending which would be nominal.

I've used the Intermatic k4221C 120v stem and swivel dusk to dawn photo sensor.

But crime rate, school ratings, average days on market for sales and rentals, vacancy rate (this can be a decent indicator of desirability but watch carefully--the numbers can be skewed by what's available, etc.).Also, I make sure to watch the listings so that I can see what the photos look like vs. how quickly and how much they sell for.