I'm in a similar situation, however I am a potential buyer and am having a hard time finding a lender to lend on the property...I'm interested in how this pans out.

I am willing to do full price just because of my situation, so going in it at a higher price already is what makes me think it wont appraise in two years.

In what situations do lease options have a good fit?

When these sItuatIons come up you must have the abilIty to bIte your tongue and rIde it out .MIght as well Make Money On Them While They Are There .

Most where value-add situations in which I was able to help with the "full picture" so to speak by giving them estimated purchase cost, value-add cost, after-repaired value, and estimated sale price. 

Single deal raises are easier to “sell” because we can clearly articulate the situation.

But I believe their standards for DTI would be too strict for my current situation. 

It's an odd situation, so I'll not go into too many details, but I will chime in that you should absolutely understand your options when it comes to getting work/service in small towns.

I'm considering approaching the lender about a deed-in-lieu-of-foreclosure, given the 7-figure difference between appraised value/loan balance, I'm hoping that would be a solid last resort.Keen to hear if anyone has been through a similar situation and whether there's any other creative solutions I should consider. 

I guess my big questions are if there are any residential MF in the Aurora area as I do not have access to the MLS and if it is possible to create a house hack situation there.