I have actually written an entire blog post on how this is a common misconception and listed a number of your arguments almost verbatim. 

It is a misconception that raising rents causes tenants to leave.

Maybe it's a misconception of mine, but I have always had a feeling that window units and baseboards scream cheap. 

Just getting the information out there is a big part of what we do - there are so many misconceptions surrounding renters insurance on both sides, but many of them are tenant misconceptions.  

Please don't see this as a personal criticism, Gail, but just an illustration of what I see as some common misconceptions. #1 Excellent, most tenants, including Section 8 tenants, are normal renters who pay rent on time. #2 Section 8 tenants fall into 3 categories: The Working Poor, The Fixed Income Poor, and The No-Income folks.

One person called who was under the impression he didn't own the house any more, that the bank did (I found this a common misconception among distressed homeowners).  

There is a ton of misconception and confusion out there regarding mold in the indoor environment.

I key in the @ and the initial, hoping to see the name pop up but it is not happening, I want to thank every one of you who responded) The bolded is actually not quite true and is a common misconception. 

Well, I am here to share with you there is more truth than misconception when it comes to this growing gold-rush in real estate.

Just to clear up a common misconception here...I've purchased about two dozen REOs (my wife is licensed and is a principal in our company, so she is the buyer also), and I know of about two dozen other REOs purchased by other investors who are licensed, and I don't know of a single purchase where the seller refused to pay a commission to the buyers.I know on a couple of the REOs we've purchased, the listing stated the commission wouldn't be paid, but ultimately we got the commission without any discussion of it whatsoever (and yes, we disclose that we're agent-as-principal).So, while there may be some situations where an agent won't collect a commission when purchasing an REO for himself, I believe this is pretty rare and really shouldn't be a major consideration when deciding whether to get your license or to write your own offers.Just my $.02, of course...your mileage may vary...