Check references, previous landlords, proof income, and (it is going to sound corny) check social media to find details about their life, any evidence that they might be lying.

Are you telling me that I have been lied to and that tax liens are not really risk free? 

The story doesn’t make sense and they are lying to you.  

Numbers don't lie. 

These percentages tell you nothing of value, and most of the time will lie to you anyway.Build yourself a financial REI plan, based on a set of specific financial goals (not percentages), ...something that is measurable and means something.Now before someone writes that these percentages are just guidelines, and not actually rules, my answer to that is "why bother with them then". 

Many lie and tell you the tenant is SEC 8 when not. 

If she's basically lying to you and telling you the owner's have had it for 10 years and you see they only had it for 3, well in your own words that's a red flag.

And to make money -not going to lie there!

ben, that's true, but some people just dont share much or have their profile locked to outsiders.i had one guy that was trying to break his lease claiming health issues and we caught him in a lie since he was posting on there "can't wait to get into my new apartment". he had told us he is moving back to his parents. he had friended my wife a months earlier..what a tool!

His criminal record, his signature on the non homestead affidavit, his signature on the investment property affidavit, didn’t deter him from lying in the least.4- for the first appeal he was able to post a “pauper’s bond”, meaning no bond at all.