Please be prepared to spend a little (padding, insulation, etc) to keep any good downstairs tenants from fighting with upstairs tenants over squeaks and overhead noise.Don't let foot fall noise blind side you.

Understanding the in's and out's of what needs to be in a contract is essential for this business.If you don't know your state's contract law then you will most likely come to a situation where you get blindsided by the law.

I'm over 3 months into this crazy refi and just when they're about to issue the clear to close, I get blindsided by some crazy issue.Does anybody know what kind of argument I can make to overcome this lender's issue?

I would not want to be blindsided by the reality of our banking system

Talk with the tenant and let them know what is going on so that they are not blindsided.1.

However, it is completely fine to have another real estate agent represent you, and if you are confused I would highly recommend it, or be blindsided by something you would have never thought about, and have to pay thousands more than you should have.

Without an estoppel, landlord can walk away without giving you the security deposit and then you get blindsided after taking ownership.

You just don't want to be blindsided.

You can be blindsided by a lot of things. 

Traditional brokerages should avoid being complacent so as not to be completely blindsided, the way the hubris of other industry leaders kept them from thinking they needed to adapt and ultimately caused them to become anachronisms.