I was wondering if charging an application fee (for credit checks, etc.) is a deterrent to finding quality renters?

It is alwasy good to offer the address to the banker up front so that they can run the real numbers using the correct taxes, home owners insurance, Flood insurance if applicable as well as any HOA fee.

I worry that I'd get so many applicants that I'd never find these better qualified ones in the stack of marginal ones. 

i agree that FB is not the best place to find quality applicants.

In Texas, if the contract is binding, doesn't violate applicable laws, and there's no option for your to terminate the contract, you're likely obligated to pay the 0.5% and take it as a lesson learned (I hate saying that). 

What is it about these applicants that is giving your mother a bad feeling?

A huge amount of the industry has quit due to the mortgage applications dropping so drastically.

You will have tenants asking to pay your application fee before they've even seen it because that's how they buy most other stuff in their life. 

You may have a somewhat thinner applicant pool due to the traffic considerations, but I would bet you'll have good demand. 

Therefore, by doing the marketing, coordination, and application review yourself, which could happen remotely, you can save hundreds to a thousand in just one turnover.What's for real estate agents?