The primary reason I credit the fee back to their first months rent is to support a perception that i'm NOT a greedy landlord, a perception many tenants have in the SF Bay area.

This is is the same common phenomenon that leads most Americans to lease cars and carry credit card debt from month to month: a perception emerged that if the bank quoted you an initial monthly payment that was possible for you, you should take the loan.When foreclosure came, it came after a long period where rates were raised on the loanholder and the prices of the property dropped, so that the homeowners were "upside-down" on their mortgage.

You'd be amazed at what double ending the commission will do to their perception of the quality of your offer.

@James Maradits I think you are very intuitive in your perception...by that, I mean I used to be hard on Cleveland...that said, we're all representing our respective markets the best we can (or should be)...but we are all in the state of Ohio.

That, in itself, creates the perception of a conflict of interest. 

This will trigger a LOT of folks.The reality is there's a huge mismatch between people's perception of Detroit and what's happening on the ground.

Both times there has been an issue it was after dark and my perception is that neither group had any experience with smart locks.I actually was not aware that pressing the Schlage button would illuminate the keypad.

I would highly recommend avoiding them, unless there is a big change in the public perception of them to the point where most people see value in them and aren't skeptical.

I shared your "financial mindset" of investing in a "C" neighborhood (specifically Franklinton) but by just walking around, you'll be able to feel changes in safety perceptions almost on a block-by-block basis.

My first perceptions are that it's a tough market to keep buildings occupied.Thanks in advance!