Morgan,There are a couple things that, to me, stick out as potential issues. 1) Those comps seem old.

It really is a great way to network, find potential business partners and even obtain financing through HMLs.

Since last month I have seen a few more potential deals pop up.  

We have a small group of investors that meets each month to discuss the market, trends in our area, and potential deals.

I'm always open to hearing about potential opportunities.

I read through the Ultimate Beginner's Guide and the multi-family property investing seemed like the kind of investing I would be interested in (duplexes and triplexes) and potentially house flipping.I have some background in real estate investing - primarily doing accounting work for individuals and commercial real estate developers. 

I would now like to seek some professional guidance from an architect, residential construction contractor, etc. to first gauge whether or not my vision is possible, potential road-blocks, and alternative development ideas.

I'm interested in retail flip potential properties, no buy and holds.

Just remember to analyze your potential property thoroughly as numbers don't lie. 

Personally I would have less peace of mind knowing there's one more point of failure for a potential gas leak.I'd go electric over gas in a rental unit.