I'd rather fight it in Austin any day!

The neighborhood seemed reasonably solid when I bought it, but has since been in decline (drug dealing, gang activity, fights in the street, speeding cars with loud stereos).

You may want to think about a tiered structure. 5% for check collecting. 7% for check collecting, and paying other recurring bills like landscaping, or any taxes or utilities the owner pays. 10% may be the "gold" level of service and may include yearly tax assessment evaluation and fighting with the assessor to bring down the assessment if needed.

I then sent over mutual release of earnest money, and selling agent is fighting to keep earnest money sent over response to give us half. 

Yes you can get a second opinion and fight it in ways, but typically that is very difficult.  

Don't get in a fight with them as people do that all the time, so it won't get you anywhere.

I would FIGHT the urge to buy the next!

Could you fight to have the taxes re-assessed and lowered?

We must fight the "Jim Brooks Act" very hard.

I also don’t like a “switch turns” approach to lawn care because that just opens the door for fighting between two tenants when I eventually move out, and I’d like to avoid that drama.