No question.There are good reasons to use leverage in some situations but, it is not a one size fits all tool.And using leverage ALWAYS increases your overall risk.As to the increase in cash-on-cash returns, no one seems to take into account the effort and additional overhead expense in handling more properties.In the example given in this thread, you have doubled your effort needed and increased your overhead expenses for a rather small increase in the cash-on-cash return of your $50K.Extensively using leverage and adding more and more properties reaches a point of diminishing returns very quickly.

I always find the last day bittersweet: Happy to be done but sad to say goodbye to a place I've poured many hours of effort into. 

There's always good deals in your backyard you just gotta be will to put the time and effort to find them.

The banks dangle that type of money in front of someone(that's 65yoa & up )and telling them not to worry they're approved with little to no effort just sign these docs(which makes the free and clear go away etc).

., buying in a worse area, or buying a property that needs work), or more effort (e.g., doing a rehab project, or doing the work to find an off market deal where you can negotiate a better price with a seller).In general, the less you put into a property (smaller down payment from you = higher loan to value from the bank), the greater your investment return BUT the greater your risk also because mortgage payments are fixed and they don't care whether the economy is good or bad, or rents are high or low.If you don't already know how to, I strongly recommend learning how to analyze rental properties repeatedly (such as various resources here on Bigger Pockets) until you understand the relationship of risk and investment return, and different ways each is measured.Only you can determine the right point on the risk-reward spectrum, both in general and in relation to your personal financial situation and any candidate properties.For example, a 15% cash on cash return might not be worth it if your debt service coverage only puts your net operating income 5% above your mortgage payments, but that's something you'll have to decide. 

Has anyone considered this in regards to their address lists and direct mail efforts?

If it happens too slowly you might either need to hire a company or just go on a pro-publicity effort to overwhelm the bad stories with good ones.

A new agent may gamble that with the extension of tons of effort a wholesaler relationship may lead to a listing but an experienced agent will know that the time extended on that would be more productive elsewhere.

While we only know one side of this story, I do think you should also follow up with animal control and make concerted efforts to ensure this dog is removed from the negligent owner.

That would be the best way to get cash to buy real estate, while the total stock market continues to yield an average annual return of 30-50% with zero effort.