The deal was taking forever, and multiple balls were dropped in the process of trying to get to the closing table.

You can't leverage a HELOC forever.

Takes FOREVER to set up but once you set that part up, it does the work FOR you as long as you continue to work the system and update your leads.

You need blue collar 58+ year olds that have owned forever, especially if you want good seller-financing. 

Appraisal took FOREVER to come back (and you guys on the board helped me through that long process).  

#1  cash out at peak of the market... buy/hold forever is not a good strategy (at least not for some properties)#2  cut out the fat (poorly performing properties or properties with very low appreciation potential)#3  Get cash heavy to invest in other areas and other markets (switching markets, leaving texas and focusing on atlanta).  

It can't sustain that forever and I suspect we're heading towards a slow-down, possibly even a correction.

People that have done this forever like myself and @Brian Gibbons   (the guy that me into this whole RE mess) just do our thing and don't think much about it, but reading your post I can obviously tell your head is spinning. 

You can not for ever be scrambling to get leads.

Caulking doesn't last forever.