My private money lenders have put all their loan amounts on the HUD/Closing statement - that way they ensure they get paid when we refinance or in the unfortunate event we don't pay the loan.If these are smaller amounts for repairs, my private money lenders still require it to be on the HUD/Closing statement but they'll cut me a check(s) throughout the rehab. 

It seems likely your loan officer will want to ensure formal leases are in place to reach any kind of real value. 

Consist of 8-1br, 8-efficiencies, and 4 units in between.

I am newbie investor, so I just want to ensure i am going about things the best way possible.

Is there anything creative I can do to ensure I get the opportunity to purchase the property?

If you can find a 3/2 basket case to buy cheap and then put it back together in a cost efficient way, you could flip it after a year or two, then repeat. 

Ensure you don't face it again. 

I’m definitely interested in maximizing my opportunity to acquire and close on deals as efficiently as possible, and this sounds like a great strategy to do just that (While also staying within the confines of the law:)

Whenever you are buying a property out of state you should do a few things to ensure it's as smooth as possible.Don't buy in the roughest neighborhood in the urban core.

A few properties caught my eye however since I will be moving into the property for a while,and I want good tenants, therefore I want to ensure that the neighborhood isnt too sketchy.