Perhaps they are unreliable, inexperienced, addicted to drugs, running a scam etc....Sometimes you get lucky & find yourself a solid handyman, other times you end up paying your actual PM company to go back and correct the mistakes your handyman made.

Of course in the early days bookings coming in is like a drug. 

I still roll my eyes and grin at your "day in the life of a C-class landlord" story about getting called by the cops due some drug overdose and you walked in on the naked guy you'd evicted from upstairs who moved in with Miss Downstairs. 

That being said the end buyer &/or the potential buyer of my property may think twice from buying if severe drug dealing, street prostitution & gunshots are constantly in motion in those areas.

In the packet we would put ways to save your property etc.I only did this for about 3 months before moving on to other things.I still listed short sales but went about it differently.When we door knocked some would appreciate the help.Others we found a tenant that didn't know the property was foreclosing.Once had a Chinese guy drunk walking down the street.He denied he was being foreclosed on and said the government was out to get him.Another guys faced turned dark red and said please leave with his whole body shaking with his fists.One had about 5 pitbulls jumping at the window and I thought they were going to bust through it to get outside.Another was some black dudes with guns and looked like drugs on the table.We just said the property was foreclosing and were glad he didn't have anymore questions or offer for us to come inside.Door knocking in some areas isn't too bad.In others it is VERY dangerous.On the commercial side I just send out letters now.Those were my BRAVE and STUPID days back then!!

Sorry, I don't buy that argument either...Do we free all the drug dealers using the rationale, "We can't blame the dealer...how easy is it to turn down thousands of dollars selling a product that basically sells itself!"

Craigslist, a billboard in the contractor lot, plus I do their pre-employment drug screens and I give them a pen or calendar of scantily clad women with my number on it. 

I think communication gap is minimal...I come from a family with both extremes of college educated...ill say wealth..but none were high society type and poverty/deaths of drug overdose.That combined with my 15+ years in customer service I am confident in that area...however the overall point you make is a good one and something to keep in mind.I guess I need to re-look at the market and possibley look for a lower price point with higher standards and see what comes back....I also guess any cashflow I can just eat for the time being as extra savings towards repairs...the mortgage is set up on a 30 year note...I could pay it off much sooner too to work towards letting someone else manage it..

I drug him to Detroit with me and he approved a 1 mil LOC for me to do HML in Detroit of all places ( again pre the melt down). 

Desperate people do desperate things, especially when drugs are involved.Be safe and good luck!