@Brant Jones the problem is that the seller has pledged his collateral to the bank and while it is technically possible to deeed a property, the title company will raise a red flag, because the lender is not paid off and has a lien on the title.I have seen a lot of deals in the last 12 years, but never one of those..Here is what I would do: a lease with an option to purchase.

Background this is a 3 family owner occupied 

My background is in HR and recruiting and the idea of sourcing and screening tenants is so interesting and exciting to me!

For background, I am in the Navy and will be a "geo-bachelor" living in a different city than my wife for 2 years.

Any lender, commercial or private, will want to know they have an experienced team managing their funds before handing over millions of dollars.Kudos to you for seeing an opportunity and thinking outside the box, but what is your background and who will you have to guide you through this process?

Some background info: I would like to begin small by house-hacking a SFR and then perhaps other SFR investment properties.1.

I have to admit that you are right, I did not know your background.

When I asked to get in touch with that team, I was transferred and the line was dropped with a pre-recorded "we have technical difficulties message". 

He did not run a background check.

It will also help avoid issues like tenant lockouts a bit more however you may run into more technical issues than with a standard deadbolt.