Because people don't want to break up their families.

And then I got on a plane and as the plane was leaving the runway for America, I sent my girlfriend a break-up SMS.

@Jeff Cliff if it is an in ground pool this is not the job for a handyman and will likely cost $5-7k because you need to make sure you break up the bottom of the pool to ensure proper drainage, demolish the decking and fill compactly. 

The real bad crack looks exterior, so break up and replace.

There are exemptions to the FHA rules, but don't lie to meet one of them:Relocation (new job outside commuting distance)Increase in family size (number of dependents increases)Vacating a jointly owned property (divorce or break up)Non-occupying co-borrower (you are buying your own place but are a co-borrower)As you can see these reasons are very specific.

In three months they could lose a job, be transferred, have a health issue or death in the family, break up, or a myriad of other things.

Your very best education will be from other successful investors, (mentors) I have found that agents are the hardest people to train in the ways of investing, they (and I am a broker) have been on the other side of real estate too long, it is difficult to switch them from the mind set of representing others to representing themselves.They believe in their 30 some page contract of sale, they are content with small commissions, they don't believe the creative formulas that investors apply to deals really work - just too conventional and under the brain washing  of the established archaic systems of of doing business.Study investor contracts and the clauses found therein - us a "skinny Contract = one pageLearn to represent yourself with an objective of assignments for profits larger than commissions.Consider learning some creative financing methods:, delayed settlement, front porch clauses, vertical break up, seller financing with split notes,tax deferred exchanges, rolling options, principal mortgages, and power prospecting for wholesale transactions, tax sales and probate lead methods. 

I went to the house on Thanksgiving, before we ate dinner (to make sure there was heat/electricity and the water was off) and there were all these weird "break-up" messages to each other on the mirrors with lipstick, written on notes stuck in dressers, etc.

Wow, that inspires a lot of confidence.Playing devil's advocate, what happens if you break up with your GF?

I would not personally try to hold them to their lease as you will be stuck in the middle of their break up for months on end.