. :-)But I understand what you're getting at.From a purely technical standpoint, the buyer isn't paying the commission, the seller is.No one is saying that the listing agent is "free," but it's the seller's burden to bear it in most transactions regardless of how much they sell their house above or below list price.Yes, pure semantics, the buyer cut a check for the house.

The lead paint finding should have no bearing on the eviction for unpaid rent. 

You aren't going to get 2% if all you're considering "good neighborhoods" to be are million dollar mansions and upscale New York condos.

3) Similar recent comps (what might the market bear for yours, although it may be hard to find many that are only 2 bedrooms on a big lot that are of more recent construction, so some adjustments may need to be employed to allow for differences in sf and age etc...) - go drive by the most comparable three properties to compare locations/settings.4) Appraisal (have you had one done recently?)

It's a little bit like the joke about how fast do you have to run from a bear?

Honestly, the cleanliness of the units has no bearing on the owner.

One other thing that bears mentioning: a lot of the faucets have become cheaper because of federal regulations, specifically low-lead requirements.

Then setup a closing for the contract with an attorney/title company.The lender involved may not be very happy but if you can get in touch with them, explain that they don't have to bear the cost of foreclosure and convince them you will make payments/ refi them out quickly.   

The fact that you haven’t been keeping up with rent increases is a separate issue that has no bearing on upkeep. 

Alternatively, when investing in vacation areas, they should be able to bear a higher risk or at least be happy spending some time in their property if the market turns sour, hopefully enjoying some sunshine.Although properties in Barcelona have strongly appreciated when compared to the worst times, there's still room for higher appreciation.