Check the lease to see if there is a clause about the tenant creating a safe environment.

There are other avenues to review but I agree past rental history is important (disclosure I have 15+ doors right now)If you feel bad for them then rent to them.My point is its corporate america and you are blaming the wrong person - you are blaming the corporation but you should be blaming the politicians who create an environment that is tenant friendly and sue happy. 

@Becca F. that definitely helps bring some peace of mind.

Many of these projects derive 50% or more of their overall profits from reversion cap rate assumptions and some type of compression that probably doesn't exist in the current environment.  

Why will likely determine how because if you are looking for cashflow vs. appreciation vs. quick capitalHow could it be househacking, brrrr, flip, long term -> You mentioned BRRRR, which is an awesome strategy but will only work in specific sectors of Chicagoland. finding the perfect brrrr in the current environment is extremely tough!

Meetups are the best for meeting people of all trades in Real Estate and it’s a safe environment. 

I moved to Florida a year ago and I love the wether and the business environment.  

However, in inflationary environments, real estate can be a safer investment than other asset types because home prices often stabilize or increase over time as more buyers look to real estate as a hedge.

What do I say to them on the phone and how do I say it to them so that they agree to end the lease and leave in a peaceful manner?  

And I get it; living in a small town means these are people I’ll be seeing all the time anyway, so making peace with that is part of the game.