They are about to move out and I’m nervous to rent to a stranger in the future with this same policy.

The fact that you are asking this question of strangers instead of your PM indicates you have an amateur managing your property.

It's very rare that somebody just gets randomly shot 9 times by a stranger.

Or just strangers off the street you met at a REI group? 

And I didn’t want to rent to strangers if I could help.

And I didn’t want to rent to strangers if I could help.

I'd decide what is reasonable in the market that you want to invest in and create a strategy around that- not what a stranger (who, very likely has never done a deal) says on the internet.Best of luck- happy investing!

Trying to raise a giant pile of money from strangers is going to be really hard.

Undoubtedly, I have much to learn, but I am no stranger to long hours of study and work.

My best advice is to meet your lenders face-to-face at real estate clubs, conferences, or other professional events.