They will also want to see a history of "money reserves" to make sure that you have money for down payment and closing costs, etc.  

It was my mistake being a soft hearted person; last Sept I accepted a "mom" who claimed she supporting her daughter for college so shes renting a room from me while her daughter staying at dorm.  

I have a great credit score and employment history, so there shouldn't be any issues with actually getting approved. 

@Tom Brooks My flood insurance guy tells me that if a property has a history of flood damage, FEMA will pay 100% of the cost to raise it up on pilings. 

I have been told that if you address (pay off delinquent items) you can sometimes get them removed from your credit history which can really help your credit score.

Make the offer first and then once in contract, request leases, utility bills, and maintenance history/receipts for work done.

What sort of cash flow history does the property have?

“Because of widespread racial and ethnic disparities in the US criminal justice system,” HUD’s new guidelines read, “criminal history-based restrictions on access to housing are likely disproportionately to burden African-Americans and Hispanics. . . .

Aha, just read the history here. 

Our three year old son and seven year old daughter are slowly but surely tagging along with us on each new adventure.Professionally I’ve practiced in the real estate industry for over 15 years managing commercial facilities for Fortune 500 companies, building an investment portfolio of SFRs, and helping others do the same.