Broaden your scope and include other buyers, partner with them in taking the option, then later sell out your partnership interest!

I haven't found any enticing deals locally (at least for that strategy), and I'm trying to broaden my real estate investment horizons at the moment.  

If your primary goal is to establish some good passive REI income, then you may want to broaden your scope in terms of market. 

Keeping that in mind, I am broadening my horizons and looking outside the major metro areas at smaller markets for apartment deals.

I am eager (and finally able) to get started, get active, and broaden my horizons.So BP, what is actually keeping you back?

And of course, as mentioned prior, broaden your marketing to larger lists, more people, and so on.

The SFR's added an appreciation angle to our portfolio and broaden our base of potential renters. 

(I am looking in close proximity, but broaden your responses as if I were doing this remote.)

Broaden your search criteria.

Later on in your career I absolutely recommend broadening your horizons and branching out to other areas of investment deals, but to start with, try to focus all your efforts towards one area of real estate.