For me that’s the only thing to rely upon is the cash flow.

This vary heavily town to town. 20% down is great if buying strictly as investment but if you have a way of owner occupying I would explore that route and apply the 20% down to increasing value of property and instead using low money down loan. 

The rules and payment standards vary significantly from one area to another, so familiarizing yourself with the local housing authority's procedures is key.

And while nothing is foolproof the most consistent method of finding good vendors is relying on OTHER real estate investors that have worked with those vendors.

@Michael Ewersi can only speak for what i've done as i suspect it varies by market. 

Curious if 1031 Exchange laws vary by state, or if it is just federal legislation.

Though DSCR gives you a better picture of how the property is projected to perform vs debt service, you can't rely solely on one measure to make a purchase decision. 

Do not rely on it for legal advice.

The information contained in this post is not to be relied upon.

Our lender has informed us that we need 12 months of rental history to use the actual rent for financing purposes, or we must rely on the appraiser's fair market short term rental value.