I'll also add that you might approach frustrated or concerned landlords to offer an alternative to "tenants, toilets, and termites" where they can sell to you, carry back the financing to receive continued monthly income and also spread out capital gains over time.

A lawyer is a good alternative however the costs can vary depending on who you hire.

I can live with the alternate format that you just showed me but I have to have a one click to the end of the thread a lot of the best in depth threads are long  at least for my personal use.. 

As well as alternative funding options besides traditional and Hard Money that can possibly get you better rate or returns. 

But am more interested in how to fund deals through alternative ways going forward.

Of course as a practical matter, lawsuits take time/money and would make it more difficult to find alternative housing, so course of action to consider is finding a trusted third party/relative to be mediator of this dispute with Aunt/Aunt's Father. 

Hello,The gas water heater is not working in my rental and I need to replace it with a new one. I don’t have any tenant there currently so I am not in a rush to replace.I just wanted to explore if there are any other ...

Alternatively, an agent needs the right network to know when an opportunity comes on the market.

It seems to me, intuitively, that covering would be the cheaper and safer alternative but I am open to what others know.

As you may find that alternative more trouble than it is worth, here is a simpler alternative:Only speaking as to CA (but likely in most other states), if you obtain an "abstract of judgment" from the court (for a fee) and record that abstract of judgment at one or more County Recorders (for a fee), the credit agencies will pick that judgment up and report it on the tenant's credit report.