As mentioned above, you need to be persistent and shop around but they are available. 

If you know your numbers and make an offer in line with the bottom of your scale, you'll probably know within a week most likely if it was rejected.I think persistence and a sharp eye may be key here.

Common sense will eventually win, just be persistent.

Always remember to persist and you will WIN!!!!

Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."  

However, it appears to me that due to some miscommunications with the PM, and lack of persistence of both the PM and tenant, and PM not returning voice mails ,the PM never got in to inspect it before they tenants replaced the floor on their own.5) There was also a problem with a railing at the exterior front staircase being "useless" because it only extends up 3 of the 6 steps to the front porch.

If this persists, I will keep him as a handyman on an as-needed basis and take on overall property management responsibilities myself. 

It's going to be a long and frustrating road, but it will get done with persistence on your part.

Nothing is ever 100%, but you can raise enough barriers that only the most persistent will get through all of them and by then you should have been able to protect yourself against them, again in so far as the law allows.That's probably not the answer you were looking for, yet so many people make the mistake of holding property in their own name, not using property managers, etc. that it is, indeed, worthy of concern. 

To Sue's point, why does the current mode persist?