Yep, get a off contract Trophy (easy to find under $200 ebay or creigslist).... (WP8 devices are hitting in fall time, I would suggest to hold your upgrade for that)
Then see my post here about how to do custom roms on it, Yes, I have a Verizon Trophy and My Wi-Fi sharing works great
(and just like your 6.5 device you dont have to pay extra for it)
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/htc-7-trop...-thoughts.html