What I learned is that you if you put together written step by step instructions, things go a lot smoother.

... seems unlikely for a 4-plex, but we had a 24-unit fall apart because the Appraiser was instructed to determine a price at a prescribed CAP {which was 2% higher than anything which had moved in the past two years}.

I have read that many people on this site research HOA's prior to investing in the community.What questions should I be asking?

Prior to the webinar I mentioned, I had been self teaching myself to trade in the stock market, which wasn't going too bad.  

It's a nice touch to contact them prior to you having a deal. 

And double closing is frowned upon because you knew of someone willing to pay more before you bought it.What you can do is form an LLC, get the short sale under contract under that LLC and if it looks like it is going to close, sell the LLC prior to close.If it doesn't close you can re-use the LLC.

Find a reputable real estate agent and set up an automatic notification system to email you properties that meet your set criteria right off MLS...this is totally free.The only thing I can extract from your post is that perhaps you need to have a pre-qual letter prior to making an offer?

Starting in traditional notes first prior to tackling NPN even at your experience level is telling.

I also don't check prior landlord references since if I had a bad tenant that I wanted to get rid of and I got a call for a landlord reference i would give a glowing reference just to ensure they were out of my apartment.  

I believe the recapture applies even if not claimed in prior tax years.