I might have to pass a few grand his way to ease the pain.

You can have any profits disappear quick on carry on costs and if you don't know your farm you may over improve to a point it won't appraise out or worse yet not get a buyer

However, this is a royal pain and waste of time for a real estate agent. 

One person's pain is another investor's gain.

They are very picky on inspections and there rental inspections every time you re-rent can be very painful.  

., the overall economics improves.The cheaper stores like Family Dollar, cheaper supermarkets and Corner Delis begin to disappear.

Back to the panic mode noted in #1 above: I will leave an apartment empty before I rent to the wrong person...it took me a while to figure that out but now we never vary from that axiom...it is far cheaper to leave it empty then go through the pain and agony of a tenant who destroys the place or for whom rent payments are a low priority...if you are cash poor you may feel forced to rent when you may not have the right candidate...make sure you have enough cash to NOT DO THAT.5.

Save yourself the pain and stay clear of them.  

Potential painful tenant/eviction#2: Fairly ideal if their work history/landlord history checks out#3: Sounds like they want to leave in a year.

It is a buy and hold...Growing pains, I know.