I have a potential applicant, husband and wife, whose home was foreclosed on. The wife got sick and could not work. Now her diabetes is under control. Husband drives a truck for firm in next town.

I seem to recall reading here that the LL should make sure that the applicants' bankruptcy if any, has been discharged..

I have a long term tenant that I got years ago whose bankruptcy etc. was not on their credit report yet and they didn't disclose. I have made a ton of money off their tenancy because they don't want to and can't leave.

What should I ask or find out from this foreclosed applicant? Wife doesn't have regular job but cleans houses. Any warnings? Really nice couple in their 50s.

Ally, this is not a situation that facts can answer. You have to go with your instincts about the people. You have met them. You have done at least the initial due diligence. What do you feel about them and their story? Any facts that back it up?

foreclosure and bankruptcy do not necessarily go hand in hand ... sometimes they do but not always. folks can lose a home to foreclosure and not go bankrupt. they can file for bankruptcy and keep their home.

i don't touch anyone with foreclosure or bankruptcy. Someone basically is not resourceful enough to pay their bills (you have to miss a lot of payments), and they end up ripping off creditors.

Thank you for the info. I intend to do credit checks and ask for pay stubs and tax info for the wife's cleaning business or pay stubs if she works for someone else. I will ask for the husbands pay stubs from his truck driver job. HE mentioned that he could bring home a dump truck with a plow on the front if it snows. That would be good. He said he was going to look at it via Google Earth. Bad tenant is still there until the end of the month so I told him I can't show it until she is gone. I hope its a Google Earth picture that is more recent after the big oak tree was cut down. I looks much nicer without it.

I talked to husband and he said he drives a truck and also "calls the races at a NJ track". That puts him in proximity to betting and I wonder if that is a connection to the loss of the home. I will find out by asking questions in a roundabout way, such as, does calling the races give you more of a feel for which horse is going to win when you bet. If he bets, he's not getting my unit.

I used to agree but never say never. I rented to a very nice lady that had a good job, her kids were grown but her husband was an alcoholic. She said she was leaving him as they were losing their home. I did rent to her for 2 years. And then she bought another home, don't ask me how.