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?

Treat each party as an individual application.

@Zach Quick one reason these sell for cash is its virtually impossible to get such small loansIE 25 to 30% down on a 40k purchase price leaves a loan for 30k ish.... not many mortgage companies are keen on writing those types of loans they are losers .. vis a vi what they can make and charge on them...

If she felt gifts were more important than rent, my guess is you did not adequately screen here application, or else your standards are very low.