Consequently we've stayed in a lot of STRs.

If you love ca by all means stay there and pay the price. 

It would reset the clock on the eviction process and just make it longer for them to stay in your home without paying you your full contracted rental payment.

If he wants the building to demo and redevelop, then he can choose to let his units stay vacant (or put some tenants in - this scenario works either way) and then let the building deteriorate until the other units are undesirable for rentals and devalued for purchases.  

They are wanting to stay longer but want to also buy a house in the upcoming year.

Once you find the right fit, it's best to stay with that relationship, but when you're getting started, recommend putting in some legwork to find the best option.Best of luck to you and I look forward to following your journey!

When a lease expires but the tenant stays, they remain on the same terms as a month-to-month tenant.

@susan @Susan Little I agree about staying away from foreclosures as they can hide some nasty surprises from costly unexpected repairs to undisclosed liens.  

Have you asked them how long they want to stay?

I havent tried post cards yet, was trying to stay within a certain budget.