Usually, most people don't figure out the finer details of their RE journey for a few months after they've mentally decided to get into the game.

My parents negative experience with rentals has been a mental wall for me to break through, but the tales of success that I’ve seen and read keep me going. 

Now,  HIPPA laws mean I can't ask what exactly the potential tenant's mental health issue is,  but I can ask for a letter from  a real doctor saying s/he prescribed a therapy animal.  

To me, I see a lot of benefit in joining them -- the network, the mentorship, like-minded mentality.

I’ll stop and go thru mentally each one and reanalyze our position.  

The biggest daily mental challenge is the urge to go on big adventures while still working towards real estate and FI goals.

Given how long the bid took, they should have prioritized your property. 

That said, a good agent should prioritize your interests and be willing to negotiate aggressively on your behalf, as long as the offers are made in good faith and are justified by the property's condition and market value.If you find that your agent is reluctant to make these offers, it might be worth having a detailed discussion about your investment strategy and goals.

That mentality is more prevalent than ever.

I think it comes down to mentality.