@Moses Lin your best bet is to speak with the lender(s) specifically, but in most circumstances, you will need landlord experience in order to count the income towards your purchasing power.

If you decide to look in the south phoenix area anywhere from 24 st to central ave on baseline or southern are pretty good bets as far as upcoming areas.

You bet!

With your massive work ethic, I bet you can find creative ways to be of value to those more experienced investors, and that can turn into money or social capital. 

The agents I currently use would be able to tell me that the area isn't "good" and that the rents are high because they are a special state sponsored program (not section 8) that could stop at any time.

I’d be happy to meet up any time :)Andrew

That’s probably your best bet, avoiding a direct conversation with a lawyer about the issue and just motivating the client.

Feel free to reach out to me directly at any time. 

Are you willing to answer your cell phone at 11pm and show houses almost any time of day?

I bet you would also benefit from speaking with a property manager in your area for advice on what works well for a rental there, especially in case you want to think about continuing to invest and hold the property after your son-in-law moves out.