We can get a cheaper deal by going to a neighboring zip code with poorer schools and higher crime (whose houses are on the upswing but have yet to bounce back from the crash), but I'm concerned about being able to find quality renters. 

Its a tricky situation because a significant amount of my stuff is still in the home and I feel like I shouldn't have to harass grown women that are doctors and pharmacists to pay rent on time and don't let people crash in my room!

It looks like you started investing just before the "crash" happened in 2008 (although those areas were a bit more insulated than say Florida or Nevada).  

I also suggest a drive-by so they are not unpleasantly surprised by the neighborhood when they to the showing, and just keep on driving by anonymously as I wait outside.  

I don't do them now because they are risky with the new laws brought in after the 2008 crash.

Since the market crashed and I moved out of the area, I've rented out the house and had groups of 15 living in the house.

When the crash hit it seemed like every Joe who lived in the rust belt or knew people who lived in the rust belt was trying to sell turnkey real estate.

Therefore, the argument goes that the bubble is now bigger and therefore will crash harder this time. 

To further prove this point, let’s examine two very significant times in history: the 2008 financial crisis and the 2020 global pandemic.THE STOCK MARKET CRASHES OF 2008 & 2020 The stock market crashed on Sept. 29, 2008, and The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 777.68 points.

Since the crash a lot of rental rules have changed such as No renting for the first year or two.