If the idea is to save on the cost, that would be "penny-wise and pound-foolish" , as they say.

Hi Zach,I don't live in my market so I rely on PMs for ground pounding.

We have our fair share of undesirables, but you can usually weed them out with proper screening!

Taking shortcuts or leaving it to others to "figure it out" usually leads to undesirable results.

I’ve been looking into getting some rentals but the more I look into them the more I feel I’ll get myself into dealing with undesirable things.

Seriously, grime and dust and dirt can make a place feel pretty undesirable - you don't even always notice it when it's there, but you will notice it when it's gone because the place will just look, feel, and smell nicer.- On that same note, one of the other most important things is also to make the place feel light and bright.

Tools and equipment are usually easy sells,quantities of brass or copper can be sold for scrap by the pound. 

Talk to people in the neighbourhood....simply ask them "do you happen to know what rents are like around here".A bit of time spent "pounding the pavement" and you should have a pretty good idea about rent.  

You mentioned the undesirability of refinancing because of investment rates and LTV.  

Most of our landlords chose to put a 20 pound weight limit on pets, and charge a non refundable pet fee in addition to pet rent and deposits.