And if they insist it is a good deal with great resale value, etc etc, have them guarantee the results in writing.

.#2: I keep trying, but all the uneducated investors insist what I'm learning from the $1M/yr crowd is wrong.

I would insist that all laws be followed, and that normal precautions are taken. 

For example :-The type that insisted on going to the out of state liberal arts school and racked up $150,000 in student loan debt while acquiring their degree in English literature-Your neighbor that have two $40,000+ new cars in the driveway while saying it is way to risky to invest in real estate because you could lose money-Your friends that time boasting about all their 0% financing on their furniture then forget to pay the balance offPeople on BP tend not to be in these categories.    

They would not let me re open the account and insisted on mailing me a check.

If the seller truly insists on cash, hard money won't do. 

And insist the owner gives you a copy of the letter that the tenant has received notice.  

By the way, why would any buyer want to insist that if given an option? 

*****Also, this goes against what I read from you and pretty much all the info on the BP blog posts I scoured, but our accountant insisted I form a C Corp for flipping and a separate sub LLC under its umbrella for my RE commissions.

My brother insisted on doing work on one of our apartments himself to rehab the unit that rents for about $1200/month.