One major factor, I would think, is that the rental market is hot and should continue in this manner.It sounds like you are in a great part of Houston - good jobs, in-demand properties, appreciating values, etc.

Asking a borrower to pay a fee to a loan broker or lender before receiving a viable LOI is like a waitress demanding her tip before she’ll take your order.

 ( You can always (which I do) use a "wash" account for the sole purpose of accepting payments, and then you distribute the money back to yourself.)One could always close the account and demand rent in cash.

High rental and investor demand continues to fuel the market.

Mortgages are like the honey badger, they just don't care how low is the principal balance, they still demand to be fed.

I am too busy with my demanding career to focus on RE investing.

Most places don't allow you to count the day on which the notice is served, and many don't allow you to count weekends or legal holidays either.I believe in New York, it's common for landlords to serve the "Written Demand for Payment of Past Due Rent" as soon as rent is past due (the day after the due date... when it becomes late).

Shouldn't supply and demand should have some kind of weight in the process?

This will have the overall effect of reducing rents, since it will in effect be a drop in demand.

To meet your demands I would have to find an ATM that dispenses $100 bills, or find an institution that will change my $20 bills into a crispy $100 bill.