Hey BP community,I'm an experienced real estate investor (all my current/former properties are single-family and multifamily rentals in Texas), but I'm planning a move to rural eastern Tennessee to be closer to family.

Quote from @Brandon Yanssens: Hey everyone, I’m actively investing in Ohio (primarily NE / Eastern Ohio) and looking to build long-term relationships with trustworthy DSCR, portfolio, or private lenders. 

Now I’m ready to turn that knowledge into action.My focus is wholesaling, fix-and-flips, and creative financing strategies.I’m eager to connect with local wholesalers sharing off-market deals, private/hard money lenders for investment projects, experienced investors or mentors for real-world advice, and reliable contractors in the area.Anyone else active in Eastern WA or North ID?

Over the last year I have built up a strong Home Repairs business (Eastern NC Home Repairs) that services New Bern, Greenville, Jacksonville, Morehead City, Kinston, and Havelock.

Even back during the last crash when I was handling special assets (bad loans) for a bank, payment history is going to determine whether it's performing or non-performing, so I think you have to start there.

Prior rental history, number of people, employment, income, etc.

If we have a 12 month history of the income, we can use the padsplit income.  

Have the applicant pay a non-refundable background, credit history report and evictions report? 

Screening is the whole game in DC, as the laws are incredibly specific to protect tenants, so when screening make sure you are following the Fair Chance in Renting Act, which generally prohibits denying applicants for evictions older than 3 years or criminal history older than 7, caps application fees at $53, requires you to accept housing vouchers as valid income and you cannot deny based on credit score alone (you must review their whole history).

Listing platforms are great for exposure, not final screening, especially once you operate across multiple states.A few principles that consistently hold up:Control the applicationSelf-reported income is a placeholder, not verification.Treat anything typed in by an applicant as unverified until proven otherwise.Why paystubs and bank statements fall shortPDFs are easy to edit or purchase.They show a moment in time, not income stability.Once you interpret documents yourself, the risk shifts to you.Better income verificationUse direct-connect tools where applicants log into payroll or banking systems themselves.Data comes straight from the source, not uploaded files.You see employment status, hire date, pay frequency, and real income.Reference calls are unreliableMost are coached or selective.Ownership and contact details should be sourced independently, not provided by the applicant.Background and eviction checks need layersSingle databases miss records.A cascading search tied to address history catches far more issues.Human review still matters when data doesn’t line up cleanly.What a solid workflow looks likeOne secure application link.Identity, income, criminal, and eviction checks run together.Pay for what you use, no subscriptions.A little friction upfront saves a lot of value later.