When reflecting on how this could be possible I was only able to arrive at one conclusion - I had been over consuming real estate material to the point of burning myself out.

Easily expect it to burn up an extra month just doing that, because in case you havn't noticed vendors are not sitting around with nothing to do, THERE BUSY, more demand then supply for vendors, so yes, that's a month burnt up on feeling out prices.

Question:  Can the expenses or mileage from the car be written off for both businesses? 

Now they cost 4 dollars at Wal-Mart.Energy efficient doesn't matter if they burn out earlier than promised.

If they have any sort of major problem, ie bad tenant, furnace failure, foundation leak etc...then it opens up an opportunity for my business as it burns through their reserves to fix the money hemorrhage as their properties barely build those reserves up before the next fun run in the wonderful world of mult-family.

I've seen investors get burned when this is not the case.

HOWEVER, It is reprehensible and dangerous for a novice to go out with a cobbled together hotrod of a plan and not even be aware it's not even street-legal.As with wood-burning stoves--first you put the wood in, then you get the heat out. 

From simple “Seller is dead you can contact him in Heaven” to “I will burn you and your whole Jew family at the stake.” 

Make a list of 4 items per year and take him to Machu Pichu, sea kayaking near LaHoya, have a beer watching the sun go down over Lake Havasu, burning some hotdogs over the fire at Sequoia Natl park, eat Italian at Taoromino in Sicily, go to the Kentucky derby, watch a jai lai game in Tijuana and have some fish tacos, etc. 

At this point, I would avoid burning tons of capital on expensive and low return multis.