You still can't discriminate against them.However, you should have a solid screening system that will eliminate the vast majority of these bad tenants.

I'm investing in a vacation rental used a majority of the time in the summer, and debating which way to go wether it's one or the other, or a combo of both.

Here's how my priorities lie:1) positive cash flow2) pull out as much invested capital upon refinance3) long term appreciationI'm an out of town investor deciding between a couple different cities and San Antonio is the front runner right now; However, I read a post about another out of town investor having a hard time finding a contractor that would quote him a fair price which is a major concern for me.

So my experience was that I had less than a 1% chance of getting a tenant I liked, and maybe a 4% chance of getting one that was not a major problem, and a 95% chance of a tenant who would cause all kinds of problems and drive me completely crazy.For me getting a phone call in the middle of the night with someone screaming about their toilet not working is just not something I can live with, but if that type of thing does not bother you, and you can go on day after day and not let it get to you.

Make sure you are digging into- The market- Education in the area- Demographics- Job Diversity- Major employers- What class of building is it?

Hi All,I currently have a 1/4 acre residentially zoned plot of land under contract via a land purchase agreement with the owner on the main street of the Town of Mount Rainier, MD (PG County), and a couple blocks away form the DC border.The market in the area is pretty hot, and the lot sits close to 2 major mixed-use developments (one of which, Studio 3807, which has been called the biggest residential development in PG County).I do not own the property outright - the owner still holds the title & deed, and I am technically leasing it with the exclusive option to buy. 

This is a long term investment, and as long as the renter pays the majority of the expenses, I'm fine with this. 

I do not believe in paying down the mortgages sooner, or buying with all cash, but I am a little more conservative.They Work Full-time Outside of Real EstateBeing a smaller investor and not necessarily having huge amounts of cash flow means that often mom and pop investors make the majority of their income through other means.

If the improvements are lots of smaller stuff, no major repairs, all under $2,500...you would get to take the $8,000 this year. 

I am still new to all of this, but I feel like that is a major draw back.