You need to have sources (agents, wholesalers, GCs) that bring you opportunity that they have mined and they are bringing it to you cause they know you buy.To the vendors of the industry: Agents, Wholesalers, GCs, PMs, what have you...you are nothing until you buy something, until then you are window shopping. 

This has caused me to have trouble with getting approved for loans/mortgages due to my work gap.

Long term I think you end up losing your shirt here, so if you can get out without too much damage I'd take my lumps and move on.

You should bill them both for the damages, take pictures and go to court.

Good Cause Eviction, the 2019 TPA, the history of moratoriums, and the clean slate act sealing criminal records and other offenses. 

To me the biggest issue with out of state investing and long term rentals is that you have to deal with property damages and/or evictions. 

Houses that sustained fire events have long term consequences including structural damage and mold that results from water intrusion required to extinguish the fire.

So I wont say not to buy cause I have and it has paid well but getting anything appraised is PAINFUL.

Real Estate Market Predictions for 2025Single-Family Homes: Prices will likely remain flat due to homeowners holding onto low-interest-rate loans, causing fewer properties to hit the market.

Often times when a builder/buyer moves too fast, or is too busy and overlooks a key piece of due diligence, the unethical ones will try the "scorched earth" method and blame everyone but themselves, even when they know it was their own mistake, and they'll see if they can scare you, the seller, the title company et al into paying damages/fixing their problem.