Any investment property that can not produce positive cash flow with a hypothetical 100% financing will never produce true positive cash flow.

I’m curious as to what other landlords position is on mailboxes and mailbox posts when they are damaged from cars hitting them, very possibly not the tenants fault as it is often a car driving by that hits it or backs into it.

With the limited info that you provided, I personally would keep it in my portfolio as long as the unit is cash flow positive and the outlook for the location and overall rental market is positive.  

Without going into a long winded answer, it sounds like your main concern is that the balance was increased by 25,000 which put your in a less equitable position.

What's a smart approach to using debt in a positive way and not negative.

Some other investors may sit on their under-performing rentals for years without taking action...You're in the enviable position to have considerable equity build up to work with elsewhere, and there are many opportunities in Phoenix to do that.

Positive experience? 

If we would spend about the same amount of money on rent as we would mortgage over 3 years, I’d rather have the option to rent out the place when we leave to create a positive cash flow and build equity than just feel like wherever we go we’re losing money to rent.

Position the televisions so that they are out of harms way. 

Lucky that I have enough positive reviews that it hasn't affected my ratings much.