This website seems like it will speed up my learning curve tremendously.

Yes it may not be the best price for the seller, but your value is not providing the best price, it is providing speed / easiness of sale to the seller. 

:Yeah, there are creative ways to speed things up!

It will most likely be listed when HUD gets around to it- they tend to move at their own speed. 

I have told the realtor that if we can not get the closing paperwork or an agreement with the seller that we will close by the original close date of May 29th (they changed the close date after they took two weeks to sign the purchase addendum) by this Thursday that I am going to speak to a lawyer about my options for either speeding up this process or getting out of this property.

If you continue at this speed, you risk never starting at all.  

Otherwise, you are dependent on others for info and to perform in the manner and at the speed you want!

If you rehab the home, the value in the first year is still the purchase price + rehab costs, at best.One thing most people do not know is that private financing can actually speed up the process of getting a loan at a bank.  

"Want high speed this and granite that?  

Is there a resource you would recommend to get me up to speed?