Unless the property needs work and the seller is desperate, you're not going to find a seller willing to do any sort of seller financing on their end. 

If they cannot afford the security deposit, it's best to just find someone who can.

Etc.Etc.I've found that when you can get crystal clear on what your ideal good deal looks like, it is MUCH EASIER TO FIND IT!

Wholesaling is another way to generate cash by finding off-market deals and selling them to investors.

How did you find this deal and how did you negotiate it?

It will still be hard, but you'll likely be able to find deals. 

Quote from @Peter Walther: I think you'll find most, if not all title insurers, will require the DIL to be dated and executed subsequent to default in order to insure. 

If not, you will likely have to find a capital partner to assist with the completion of the permitting and then seek out the equity source you are currently pursuing once the project is shovel ready. 

Sorry to hear your self managing isn't going as planned...finding good tenants is tricky!

You can also find real estate investing groups through meetup.com, Facebook, or a Google search.