And the reason why your "tale of two halves" will play out as you described.Demand:  This has actually been high almost all along, but rent growth hasn't materialized in response due to high levels of new supply. 

Plus, if you want to scale quickly, turnkey providers make it easier to buy multiple properties without worrying about finding each one individually.If you’re feeling comfortable with taking on a little more responsibility, you could also buy directly through an agent and work with a property manager to handle everything.

I am responsible for getting a job done .  

Tenant clearly accepted these responsibilities. 

I do have my limitations, but if the tenant is otherwise responsible, pays their rent on time and does not destroy my property, I can deal with the weed.

@Jason Seay  We have in our lease that all parties are responsible for the total rent. 

Thanks for your response @Michael Wentzel!

It's amazing the bad info given by a lot of lenders who think they know what they are talking about, or Real Estate agents who give lending advice that is not accurate. 

I am looking to progress my real estate investing career in a responsible and timely way, and it has been hard to save money for my next property while paying this much for my current property.

@Thomas YoungmanThank you for such a detailed response.