Brick pointing and painting

[Igor Messano]

Hi everyone, I just closed on a property this week and am in the process of getting it ready to rent. The exterior needs a little TLC. It has a reddish brown painted brick and I see a few spots were the mortar is not fully flush with the brick like most of the joints. I am not sure if this means full pointing or just some touch up? Regardless of pointing I also need to paint. Given the cost and market I don't think the cost of stripping the brick is a choice right now and painted brick is very common in the area. Any tips or ideas? If I have to touch up the mortar, will the paint be a big issue? This is a 16 foot wide two story townhouse so only the front has brick.