Perhaps the latter is too conservative and needs to adjust his criteria, but also perhaps he's the sane one in the room.

We have shown and filled units during this time and made adjustments to how we do things; mask, distancing etc.

It's been a long time since I've shared a living space so it would be.........quite the adjustment lol.

Cutting the gap between tenants would earn you more than 30 days of extra rent.This email is not a move-out notice - I'm not sure when I will move out yet.Some reasons that I can find a new tenant for you early are:I can start looking several months before I move out.I will be incentivized to make the home look nice for tours.People love to talk to the previous tenant before making a decision.I may even be able to adjust my move out date to accommodate the next tenant.Let me know what you think!"

I was wondering if there was a way for me to refinance, just for a better rate (not for cash out), while still keeping my HELOC (and adjusting it if needed).

What's the interest rate on the loan, and is it fixed or adjustable?

Those two adjustments were what it took for me to keep doing deals in a market like this. 

Facebook has already announced that it will cost adjust salaries for employees that move from the Bay Area to areas with a lower cost of living.

Most inspectors will want to peek behind the walls and you may have to pull all the drywall so they can see all the framing, plumbing, and electrical.Definitely adjust your numbers on the deal ignoring that square footage and subtract any costs that may be associated with demo or corrections from the purchase price.It might be worth just getting a preliminary inspection done by the city just to give you an idea of what it will take to get it approved.

I would assume your contract has a due diligence period and as long as you're in that, it's never too late to adjust the offer (and even after that, you can back out, you just risk your earnest money).I wouldn't make a habit of this as it's distasteful to the seller and selling agent and can give you a bad name around town if you're a frequent offender ("Zebuel uses a bait and switch on all his offers").