If you refinance it as your primary residence, then yes, you will be signing a new Mortgage at closing that says you intend to occupy for 12 months, essentially resetting your clock to another 12 months.But here's the huge kicker.

They signed a three year lease, and occupy the house of their dreams. 

Its train wreck waiting to happen.Investors please read the terms of what you are signing, you have no rights.

@Matthew L HearnHi Matthew,The tenants are not in the way if they have a signed lease, and you do have to honor the lease once you take over the property.Once the tenant's lease expires, you can always send a letter of non renewal so that they will vacate the unit once the lease expires.Make sure you read the leases carefully and the expiration dateGino

I signed a 1 year lease last month so kinda stuck in that until fall 2025 (unless I broke lease or paid massive amounts to cancel it).

No "for sale" sign posted out front to help find it.

His attorney said in order to provide a clear title, the seller would have to hire a law firm that was willing/able to do extensive research into heirs, and get them to sign off/away any rights they might have.  

I did not use the lease feature, listing features, or background check yet as those were already in place when I signed up but for sure I wanted an all-in-one package for when I do need them in the future.

Let's say it's a suburban home in a decent to nice neighborhood, ARV $200-$500k.Do you make signing a quit claim deed a part of your cash for keys agreement?

It's also wise to check references from previous landlords to understand their payment history and behavior as a tenant.Once all the information checks out, you can proceed to signing the lease and collecting the security deposit and first month’s rent.Good Luck!