Please extend an invitation to your tenants to visit me in my home (1925 block/stucco construction - a dang bunker for all practical purposes)...footsteps bother them? 

Long term I would like to continue to grow as a PM but also be able to spend time weekly or monthly with other departments to better understand their procedures, tasks, and how the department should be ran.

If you don't like Dave Ramsey then we can look at Big Bang Theory where Penny borrowed money from Sheldon and even though he didn't care about what she was spending or when she would be paying him back, every time he said anything she thought he was grilling her about that. 

How much will you have to spend to make those units worth more to the renter?

Is spending thousands on a sprinkler system worth it or do I have other options? 

They may look at 10-15 rentals and if applying ahead is required they might be spending a full months rent on applications and not like any of the places. 4.

Maybe this is just happening because of the colder weather but I'm not sure and I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars getting a plumber to come out if a good investor-friendly handyman can take a look.

Early on into budgeting many years ago I tracked all of my spending for a month. 

If you don’t want to spend money I’m pretty sure you could get someone to grade the surrounding dirt and add some gutters for your $5k discount and gain you will have added value and come out ahead.

Like with so many things, awareness and access to information leads people to take less favorable options when spending their money.