Unfortunately, it just depends on the appraiser.That being said, if it's a sale, the vast majority of times (assuming the sale price is somewhat defensible), they'll appraise it real close to the sale price.

No, the best offense is a good defense, and the best defense is to use the safest rent collection methods possible (which is not CC payments).   

"Compounding interest is the eighth wonder of the world" Einstein (supposedly)

There is really no defense against such abuse because there is no clause you can put in the lease to prevent that and there is no verification possible to guard against it.  

In order to reach my savings goals more quickly, I've considered cutting back how much I contribute yearly to my roth IRA.Question: Could saving more aggressively for real estate investment (in order to achieve financial independence more quickly) justify reducing retirement savings that will compound for nearly 40 years?

That's financially dangerous especially given the current market and you lose the compound affect of money growth.

How much money you invest, what rate it's compounding at and how long it's growing. 

REI is still good; it just takes more cash than many folks thought.And all of us who have been banging the drum for years on reserves and defenses in depth are suddenly prophets gifted with second sight.

If you're dealing with wacky compound loads, you need to be talking to an engineer... period. 

Also, keep in mind your application is the first line of defense, so it could be (like Dracula to a cross or light), the application is doing its job and turning people away--even though they love it.... due to their rental or credit history.