You don't have to give reason, you know what it is.

They are much more reasonable and are more intertwined in a community than some lender states away.

@Kyle Knudsen, There's a couple reasons why this wont work unfortunately.1.

I can think of a couple of seemingly great reasons to stay in the deal, which would be 1) they'd get a portion of the rent we'd be paying to live there (again, I assume this would be split 2:1:1), and 2) if we live in the house for a couple of years, couldn't we sell it tax-free, since we would be owner-occupants?

It’s only time before commerce and gentrification follows…There are lots of 2/3 flats in the area with reasonable pricing etc… 

While the location is great, parking is an issue, and can really only accommodate about 4 - 5 cars total at time reasonably. 

They already made their investment using their own reasoning; now it's your turn.Happy Hunting!

Assuming your property is in Utah (like your profile indicates), here's the state law from a basic internet search:In Utah, a tenant who abandons a rental property without notice is liable for the lesser of the following: The rent remaining on the leaseThe rent plus the difference between the fair rental value and the agreed-upon rentThe cost to restore the property to its original conditionThe landlord can also remove the tenant's belongings and sell them if the tenant doesn't claim them within a reasonable time.

They are much more reasonable and are more intertwined in a community than some lender states away.

This reminds me of a police officer  pulling somebody over without reasonable cause and asking to search their vehicle and if the person does not consent, they’re saying you must have something to hide.