While lovely to look at, the floors do a terrible job dampening any sound from upstairs to down. 

Originally posted by @Joe Kelly:Based only on what's written, yes, it sounds like it's capped at 1% period.I hope this isn't a lease you own...that's a terribly low rent increase and an absurdly long lease... 

I had a terrible experience with them although initially earning 1% on the funds in my account was great.

Real estate investing is all about due diligence, last thing you want is a terrible experience because you were not willing to spend the small amount of time and dollars to do the proper due diligence it deserved.

I feel terrible when a property does not rent quickly, as if I've done something wrong

Chattanooga actual had terrible air pollution not that long ago and so the mayor and residents wanted to do something about it and they turned the city into a clean city and has since become a haven for mountain biking, hiking, white water rafting, fishing, etc.  

If they are not going to properly manage the property, they should hire someone that can.However, I also regularly hear of professional PMs that simply are terrible. 

They either find terrible deals, marry me to their own listings, or just outright try to date me.

My personal support experience has been terrible with them.

This sounds terrible and I am sorry this is happening to you.Hopefully this helps you find out what went wrong with the first PM and give you ways to self correct