Reading a bunch of these articles and comments we forget these tenants are also our customers if they are not paying and it's the first month that they've done this often times some Grace is allowed especially if they are communicating the situationbut if they're doing this frequently and not communicating and likely short paying every month then quickly move to have them effected each state or province has their own system best to research that or hire a paralegal

Now after the title check is this gentleman free and clear if someone later on down the line claims a stake in the title (i.e. mechanic lien of sorts)..is this were title insurance comes in? 

Did you get actual quotes/look up for taxes, insurance? 

  $750 is insurance greed pure and simple.  

Both of these loan programs are conventional financing, and with less than a 20% down payment, you would also receive a reduced mortgage insurance rate. 

The house rents for $850/mo, and I think I could push it to $950, give or take - but the debt payments (30-year loan at 4.75 or 5%) and taxes and insurance would take up all of that, leaving nothing for renovations.One alternative I’ve pondered would be to secure it and then seller-finance it to an owner-occupant.

I tell tenants to deposit into cozy 4-5 days before the 1st to insure timely payments.

A $680k mortgage (let's assume they had 20% down) plus taxes and insurance is going to be somewhere around $5k per month.

I included a monthly insurance of $120.

This morning I called my insurance agent, he was most cooperative, he called the local police to get a case number and said this is by now a famous incident!