If they are paying, keep them on month to month.Our renewals 60-90 days before the lease ends....say something like your current rent is $1500, we are increasing rent to $1550 starting June 1st....and you as the owner get to choose one of two options....continue month to month at $1750/month, or sign and return 1 year extension by April 10th, or option 2, your lease will end on 5/31.I say do everything you can to keep tenants that pay. 

Unless your real estate agent is a savage, they will continue to send you properties listed on the MLS. 

Not yet, I'm waiting until I hit 2 years of employment history before I talk to a lender.

I continued to do projects each month during this time.

Talk to a tax professional.

There is nothing wrong with talking to sellers about selling their properties but for everything good in this world work to make the process easier and more transparent.

Well you will see my responses in bold that show the facts vs some guy sitting on the internet thinking he/she knows what they are talking about.

I don't have anything to sell you--I'm definitely down to talk through how you could possibly figure this out without 20% out of pocket. 

I think some of that stuff ends up being public.Honestly I am just talking out loud a bit. 

Your Castle would be worth talking to.