I'm a student in my last year at Texas A&M University,  and as you can see by my subject line, my current mission is to fight and scrap my way into the multifamily industry from the start.  

I have settled litigation myself, and my clients (when I was a litigator in Texas) have settled lawsuits by writing checks for things when they weren't liable, but it was cheaper than paying the lawyers to fight about it.

Make them fight LOL.

If you must file an in rem QT because you have unknown heirs, or can't find former owner to serve papers on him, then taking it to a judgment will cost between $3,000 and $5,000 IF nobody puts up a hard fight.

That means I can use that $25,000 for legal fees if they fight me.

We are always ready to fight the last war.

Put wording in it that after the one-year period she can renew at $xxx and just know going into it that she won't be able to afford this. 30-days prior to the end of the lease (or whatever CA requires for notice) give her notice to vacate and (assuming she doesn't fight it) she's out and you can get new renters in.

If he is not giving you the service he promised you need to decide if you are willing to just bend over and suck it up or fight. 

Is it a thing for listing agents to list low and have investors fight each other out for the property? 

Either way it's going to cost you, but it might cost you more to fight a dummy than to let them have their way and then move on.