If I recall correctly he stated that in the state of Florida any homes sold in a Short Sale or Foreclosure deal could not be used to affect property values of homes in the area nor could they be used for comp analysis.I haven't personally seen the statute stating this nor have I delved into additional research but it may be worth looking into.

How does this affect the purchase, and is this something I can take advantage of in getting into the property at a more advantageous price?

Will the purchase of the property affect your taxes at all?

This has been discussed repeatedly.

I would then pay the HELOC off and wait for the next property and repeat.

Someone youve used REPEATEDLY and is on the up and up.  

I am looking for people who want to work with the same investors repeatedly.  

Perhaps gradual interest rate increases could affect demand on higher price points.

I will be inquiring with an attorney and the lender about LLCs and how it would affect one mortgage vs 2 and how the LLCs would need set up.  

There are a lot of factors that could affect your projected beliefs if not scrutinized thoroughly.