While it may suck as it seems like they are literally doing nothing for the sale itself, have them 'earn' that commission and get them draw up the paperwork and handle the sale, the same as a regular agent would. 

I guess it’s hard for me to draw the line between realistic and anxiety.

Also a really nice house in a not so nice neighborhood isn’t likely to draw the right type of tenants to keep up those nice finishes.

If that is the case, what is going to draw them back to SF.  

In Portland, about 80% of landlords are charging flat-rate RUBS, so if you don't I'd print that in big letters and that might draw more.If you do charge RUBS, I'd really endorse sub-metering vs. flat rate. 

How should i draw the line on the age of the house ?

In theory -  dressing up a house's finishes to be better than market CAN draw better tenants.My personal preference - aim to be par with market comps. 

Due to the paperwork involved and long draw request periods I'd prefer to start with referrals as it'd be hard to convince a normal contractor to agree to the terms.

The media is picking this up and drawing their own conclusions.

For your primary home you could draw on the equity and the refi will pay off the 7k.