We only deal in high end flips and A or B commercial properties -- so we are not your competition).  

If there is no nearby competition then you can charge a little more for the close proximity of your WD.

You need to examine your competition.

As the years go on, the investor is unable to raise the rent because the rental market is so competitive, rent levels are flat.

Birmingham seems to have a bit more inventory but this is getting more and more competitive and sooner or later will be just like the rest of them if it isn't already.  

PDX is fun but very very competitive ..

I figured that any help given would be helping the competition.

They price the money at the highest market rate or sale price they can and still stay in competition with other sources of money at that given point.

I will still have them bid my jobs, in the hopes that they will be competitive, and for comparison though.  

Typical problems getting full powers relate to problems getting bonded or conflicts between competiting claimants.I've been involved with plenty of cases where the PR's never DID get Letters and left a mess for me to happily clean up (for a price).