You need to know the market in area - know the physical vacancy, common incentives, eviction rates, market rents, etc.  

Did you physically go to the bank, ask them the remaining balance, and cut a check?

From there the person who has the 'boots on the ground' does all the physical tasks for the deal such as hanging signs around the property, showing the property to our perspective partners, etc.

All the sockets and switches and the physical location is the same. 

Any ideas (besides the obvious physical inspection and/or smell of a damp basement) for seeing if there has ever been any issues?

this property is listed on Precinct Number6 Sale Date (Sale Nbr)09/02/2014 (4) Cause Number201148580 District Court151 Account Number0180930000029 Judgment Date01/10/2014 Order Issue Date Case StyleHARRIS COUNTY, ET AL VS OLIVIA DAMIAN FARIAS, ET AL Legal DescriptionLTS 29 & 30 BLK 31 HOUSTON HARBOR Physical Address7423 CORPUS CHRISTI ST 77020 Adjudged Value$77,070 Estimated Minimum Bid$2,069.35 So i went on zillow.com to see what the comparables were for the area. house sold from 50k to 75 k on the same street and this?

There is a #4, separate the utilities, physically.

The kids burned down the house so mom and dad are liable for the damages.I think the burden of proof would be too high for the tenant to recover from the landlord's lacquer issue.If there was a witness who saw the landlord in the garage prior to the incident or if there was physical evidence of some furniture or fence that he was applying lacquer to, then you have a situation where it's pretty clear he was there and he was engaged in an act that could reasonably believed to have started the fire.

The Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) prohibits harassment and discrimination in employment because of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, mental and physical disability, medical condition, age, pregnancy, denial of ... www.dfeh.ca.gov/Publications_FEHADescr.htm Even though the above definition does not specifically state this applies to housing the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing brochure below says as much. http://www.dfeh.ca.gov/res/docs/Publications/DFEH-157H.pdf And yes I agree - bad information is worse than no information.

The best I think is to physically walk through the house noting everything that needs to be done to it.