When folks headhunt me, I ask for three things.1) Access to their interest rate pricing.2) Put me on the phone with the regional underwriting manager. 3) Put me on the phone with your regional operations manager.4) I'm not interested in talking to you, headhunter/recruiter dude, so go away.I have found that there is absolutely a trade-off.

Given the evictions, I would definitely screen very thoroughly and check everything.  

I would call the lesser qualified tenant and tell her that you had received the other very strong application first and see if she still wants to risk her cash in the screening process.I often may receive several applications in a day and run the screening that evening.

Since I had little knowledge of development and added little value to the deal itself, I asked for a very small percentage of their commission and the chance to be included on emails, phone calls and meetings when applicable. 

Before I found this out though I gathered from our phone conversation that this was a gentleman and his wife that are retired and no longer are living in this house and I believe they are free and clear from the mortgage, although I will find this out tomorrow.

A tenant in a ground floor unit reached out over this past week asking if I would install a screen door as "the previous landlord had promised to put one in". 

@Andy BallesterThe only thing I could think of to make a bank more upset with you than turning on the utilities in one of their foreclosures after they said and/or implied no ... would be calling them on the phone and telling them you just bought one of their houses SubTo.

They apply and everything goes through as far as screening and we sign the lease and received the security deposit with the plan to move in March 1st.  

Screen, screen, screen and don't ever compromise just to get the rent checks rolling in. 

I don't want to speak to which strategy you should use for decreasing your costs, but I would recommend examining your tenant screening process if you are having to actually go through the whole eviction process that many times.