Been doing tons of research and it seems like New York can be a challenging area to getter started in as a newbie.

Since you are evaluating multiple out of state locations, this may be more challenging, but I bet you could find some folks here in the forums who can point you in the right direction. 

Single family properties are a challenge to crack into but most investors have been focused on secondary suites and diversifying their risk. 

Finding properties where the #'s would work of a sandwich lease and still be attractive to the seller, seems challenging. 

We had our challenges getting the LVL delivered as the truck couldn't make the turn.

Do you have any suggestions for where to find the specifics on those requirements besides engaging with BDS about a specific address, which is how they seem to prefer interacting?

That could be a great way to find and stay engaged with local investors, realtors and opportunities. http://www.biggerpockets.com/alertsYou can also search for other investors or brokers in your market and follow their journey on Bigger Pockets here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/search/usersAnd of course, be sure to subscribe to the podcast - so much great info there and always full of inspiration.

It seems like his biggest challenge is that he has too many projects going on at once, and therefore is not getting to ours.

You might consider engaging an attorney to draft a "Mutual Agreement to Terminate Lease" or something to that effect that is valid in your state.A simple 1-2 page agreement outlining that 1) she has surrendered or abandoned the premises, 2) you have her permission to dispose of her personal property, 3) and you have her permission to liquidate her deposit for past due rent, can save you tons of potential legal headaches down the road, and would likely be far less expensive and time consuming than an eviction.Forget trying to collect on the remaining months of the existing lease.

Is there a nuts and bolts article on BP that has applied the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) method to the IRS Publications for those of us do not view the IRS Codes as a challenge?