Thank You for releasing some of your experiences, I appreciate your help, I'll take all the nuggets into account.

The other option is to re-lease the house at $1750 and wait for purchase prices to come down to reasonable levels. 

All I got were bunches of quitclaim deeds a release forms and FedEx self mailers.

If no hole or set screw, the handle release may be behind the shiny cap in the center of the handle. 

Also, if you are using property management, they will charge you a lease fee for releasing. 

The money was held in escrow and released to me when they closed.

Do you have a power of attorney or and authorization to release, and/or still have contact with the seller?

Get paid to release your option by the seller3. do a simultaneous close so the seller and the buyer don't know what your profit is.You are making it WAY too complicated and costly by using a hard money lender to close the deal first, then selling to someone else. 

REIT's are basically businesses, and part of the appeal of real estate over investments is that you actually know what's going on, versus the "sales speak" and "marketing propaganda" most businesses release as quarterly reports.On the other hand, REIT's can be better than sticking your money in a mattress and you can get into the market for less than buying your own property.

My mortgage company required that they have a quick release on the interior.