While they are not all in Chicago, in this day and age you do not need them to be.

In 6 or 12 or 36 months when you decide to refinance into a Fannie loan, be aware that private one-off lenders often balk or spaz at the "verification of mortgage" and "payoff demand" requests, which can in turn delay your refinance and/or blow your rate lock. 

I'm trying to find quality tenants by doing credit and background checks. 1 applicant's credit and background check and income verification matched my criteria so I accepted their application.

Besides, title companies don't want title search orders, they want closings.Great advice Tom.. my Daddys attorney in circa about 1969 before I was old enough to get a RE license but was around real estate all the time ( my dad drug me to his meetings with him and many were with his attorney)  he said son you want to make it and get ahead of the pack you Learn the court house.. now in this context this means going in and going through the old books and recorded plats etc. in todays age it simply means understanding all the on line tools and what it all means.. this is where the money is made. 

They were moving from another state and one of them didn't have a job so it made it difficult for that qualification.I asked for proof of funds and documentation with verification showing that party is indeed on the trust fund and able to pull cash as needed. 

Our buildings are both about the same age, style and condition. 

I started working right around your age.  

I don't know if you can put up how many people can live in the property but you can make it known that any person over the age of 18 or 19 will automatically be placed as a listed tenant on the lease.

The more experience you have in the age of properties, and the things that might be issues- probably the faster you can close a deal comfortable on your side as the buyer. 

This may be the toughest thing to do with people our age because there is so much peer pressure in college to go out and drink, eat, and "other things."