The extra 900 bucks makes a big difference in the renter’s psychology as well as covering potential damage while the $75 a month is often not a deal breaker, especially if they intend to recoup it.  

I am in Houston and getting ready to pain my entire house and am looking for recommendations on where I can get paint for cheap?

A lot less painful on her end so she's more likely to stay, and if she does, then I don't have any additional expenses. 

The trick is to find the seller's motivation and pain points.

These properties are usually not in the best condition because generally someone hasnt been living in it for years, but you are able to apply to purchase these houses and land from the state for painfully low prices!

In the field of psychology, this is considered to be the availability heuristic and/or anchoring.

It was always a pain point, but it was a bad time to sell. 

This is a psychological issue, not an REI one - you'll have this same hang up regardless of what route you go, everyone does in the beginning. 

They are in pain and will make their decision based on emotion.

That being said, when it comes to pre-approvals, it is a pain in the butt to get each time to submit an offer.