If they are changing jobs, they need the new job first and you need to paychecks or offer letter with salary or maybe even the first two paychecks at the new job, depending on their level and income.Ask them about deposit and rent. 

It doesn't sound like that has happened here because you keep saying you want to transfer it etc...essentially you want to give them the property, because right now today they do not own it and have not completed AP...you're doing their job for them. 

Property is in Granite City, tenant lost his job, and has stopped responding to texts and emails. 

My first PMS was Guesty which did a great job with automations IMO. 

So he can do a crappy job and still get the funds.

The husband had a good paying job that had a slow season where he would collect unemployment a few months per year.

Awesome, great job!

@Jonathan Small Nice job on this find and completion.

But around here some of the screening services that claim to do background checks do a lousy job of it.

I feel like it would be great to trust a property management company on all of this, but it would be hard not to step in if you could do a better job at screening bad tenants (eg screening HUGE future problems).I initially managed properties myself, but now I delegate that responsibility to my business partner, personal assistant, or a property manager at my brokerage.Most PMs I know will send you an applicant for final approval and you can get on the phone with them and ask them questions