Get rid of the problem then move ahead with a better deal.I can't imagine refinancing to 30 years is going to eliminate your negative cash flow when all hidden costs are considered.

That helps weed out some tenants at the lower end of the price range...It may take a month longer to rent that way, but eliminates a lot of hardships later down the road.

Also leave a comment/question box (will help you eliminate them when they ask if it's okay that they have a pitbull or mastiff, etc).

Just IMHO.. 1) Person to respond to inquiries & questions when you are vacationing around the world ;)I think the first thing is eliminating all the questions you can.a) Simple things that are easy to operate, as you said, would be great. b) Pre-address existing questions through email & FAQ book on-site. 

I don't think it's as simple as reducing/eliminating placement fees and increasing monthly fees (for reasons mentioned), but I very much agree that having placement fees in the first place does a poor job of aligning incentives (and I've written a lot over the years about the importance of aligning incentives with your team members).Personally, I'd love a PM to commit to a minimum time for which they will not charge a placement fee, after which a fee would be reasonable. 

The maintenance person "...eliminated the window because it is a ground floor window that is easily accessible by just climbing through it without a ladder.  

What I found was if I just learned about the different markets I was interested in, and continued to analyze those markets for changes in them, I did a better job of "quick analysis" by eliminating markets instead of properties first.  

Also you would eliminate your right to a tax free gain when you sell.

Eliminates a lot of entries.

I know it is giving up revenue (we make about $75 a month at the Grayslake Property on Laundry) but I am thinking that the elimination of having to purchase the machines and the ongoing maintenance and coin collection might be worth it.