Sorry I was not able to give you a silver bullet for your problems, but this is the reality of the situation.

When staff members are well-informed, they understand the situation better and can assist in the transition process.Throughout my career, I have followed these principles of transparency when selling properties.

Stress just moves from one thing to another.

In times of economic stress, people may not choose to vacation in Las Vegas.

How do fellow landlords handle this situation?

Our agent seems incredibly stressed by it all, she's spent decades building her reputation which is now being dragged down by this guy but I don't know what she can do.  

Alternate rent models can work in specific situations, but as you said, they aren’t always superior to traditional LTR, especially after the costs and effort. 

Seller Financing I am the buyer with 30 days to purchase the property and want to simultaneously market it as rent-to-own,  how can I structure the process effectively:Can I structure the deal this way, so I can secure a tenant-buyer while working to close on the home myself,  minimizing my risk and creating a win-win situation.

maybe you can form your own mastermind / small group of local people in your same situation and work on strategies together.I think @Marcus Auerbach totally nailed it. 

While this is less tax efficient, it would be less work / less stress.