Secure a lease with an option that you can exercise after you close your sale.5.

Who knows, you may get a few listings out of the exercise too.

I actually don't know the answer since I'm not familiar with the markets you are referring to, but think the exercise will be helpful either way.That is if you bought and sold at retail market ... now riddle me this, which of those markets can you more easily find a below market property?

They have to pay the liens off in order to exercise their right to the property and only have a set period of time to do so before they have to abandon their rights.

One concern I have is that as long as interest rates remain low (unchanged or lower) and the payments are being made, the bank would have little incentive to exercise the Due on Sale clause against you.

That said, there was nothing keeping the tenants from exercising their right to turn the lease into a month-to-month (albeit unlikely).I mentioned this to the supervisor, but he suggested that line of reasoning would not get approved.

I was going to buy and sell using an option contract, exercise my option when I find a buyer and do a double close.

Even if it's just an exercise in getting good at spotting deals maybe someone will want to partner on something you find. 

What are the best ways for me to do this exercise without engaging a realtor?

Well this is a good exercise.