Is this a common sales practice or usually inside deals where the builder cut it with their buddies and generally not accessible to joe public?

Have I now met the requirement of making the unit available for rent under the Pre-rental expense provision in Publication 527?

I'd say you have a good case for tortious interference with a contract, but only if you find a judge who isn't willing to say that low-income housing subsidies are for the good of the public welfare (and there is a case that is getting harder to make these days!)

Their profits are taken entirely from the transaction where the bank releases the property back to the public which is typically where the rehabbers make their profit.

So, allowing just anyone to come in can be a problem.Many landlords don't want it know that a commercial property is for sale, at least not to the public.

"You can never go wrong with five" a seasoned transportation broker once told me. 

ok,it has public records, credit history (of course), employment, collections, criminal report, (most wanted, sex offender, terrorist), credit scores.let me know if you have any specifics and i will ask her for the details.

NOD's are public record, pre-NOD's from credit bureau.

They usually not until 120-180days late and are then public record, and free,which is why the owners get bombarded. 30, 60,90 days are not public record and you must buy the info, so they get less people working them.

You could just say it's public information.