We have been focusing on the MLS to date and are finding that may not be our best direction.

I can think of two scenerios that could be problematic.You started a thread asking advice on strategy on a potential deal and you mentioned your bottom line and tour buyer/seller or their agent happened to see your post.You post about a situation about a tenant, or an applicant, and in reading your post they know you are not going to renew their lease or you might be evicting them, hence escalating the problem.

One home I did a small design for is part of a historic homes tour this year, so I'm going to sneak in my card and a tablet with a slideshow so people walking through can see. 

Our holdings are 15 residential rental units (houses and small plexes) and we use Quicken for bookkeeping and a Columnar Pad (our rent register)... does that date me or what!

So they're pretty good for general searches but not so good for the type of info you need for reliable comps (CMAs) and also not quite as accurate in terms of being up to date for brand new listings and change of contract status.It's a far more open system than it used to be, but the realtors don't want to give away all their tricks ;)Yes, you can find real estate agents who will sign you up as an unlicensed assistant, thereby allowing you to use their mls access.

You are also opening yourself up to issues if there is a delay in the eviction and the move in date gets pushed back. 

Other than that, here are a couple options:Start advertising and screening potential tenants before the termination date of the lease and put together a short list and see if the start date for them will coincide with date the tenant is expected to leave (two months after lease end date).Find another rental for your current tenant for the two month period. 

My tax home is in Connecticutand we own one rental property and would like to looking into a new market out of state.We are looking to schedule a viewing tour in the west coast for a potential rental property and would like to know if my travel expense is deductible?

Some states would actually require the landlord to provide the tenant full compensation for damages for not providing the unit on the date stated after signing the lease (temporary housing, storage costs, etc.).  

I haven't toured the house yet, but I think it also could easily be adapted to a multifamily with an exterior stair access or perhaps an interior one, but have to look at it  However, it is also in a real nice neighborhood of old SFR just like it, so I'm hard pressed to want to ruin the outside appearance with a stair case.Sooo...First question - is a three story, 4 bedroom, 3500 sgft house too big to successfully rent in the SFR market?