You can experience flat rent and higher vacancy with multifamily and increased costs not reimbursed by tenants such as property taxes.Per sq ft retail is overbuilt nationally but a lot what I call (dead retail) is in bad areas, some cold belt states, rural to weak suburban areas with limited growth where local mom and pop tenants do better.The quality of the dirt,location, and access to the site with sight lines from the road is key.Lot's of people do very well with retail as investments you just have to know who to connect with that does it day in and day out and knows the space.

Should I offer to reimburse them  $300 for their inspection ?

You rehab it using their rehab escrow funds (which you may have to front and then request to be reimbursed once the work is completed and verified). 

If they won't help, maybe you could get a lease addendum that requires the tenant to reimburse you for the costs.

Also have them reimburse you for the inspection,

Contractor needs 25k of materials supplies (75k of labor he does himself he does at no upfront reimbursement). 

Does anyone have any suggestions for getting reimbursed for the inspection or appraisal?

The Insurance company, State Farm, is going to send me a check directly for the rent however they require the tenant to be reimbursed by them for utilities. 

I do want to get something in writing that says that the tenant will not be reimbursed in any form or fashion for his half of the cost. 

I usually reserve that threat for after I am told “no” on my polite demand for reimbursement.