for this call, you might withhold the info that the house is already divided up. if the property wasn't properly divided, the Landlord probably pays the electric, water, gas, trash, etc.  

People who cannot manage their money properly will never come up with first+last+deposit, no matter how much money they are making. 

A lot of people don't understand the ideas behind leverage, and securing a good investment strategy starts with the proper loan.

There are better/worse groups for sourcing deals, I would argue that if you did not get an opportunity to meet people who have or are working on deals, the meeting you went to did not properly address your needs and goals, and you should continue to attend more and different groups.

Auction sale yes the occupant has 20 days to move to eviction will start however they must properly send you this notice.

That;s an option as long as you have the proper down payment.

What, if any, are the potential risks with this scenario, or can these risks be addressed by a properly written lease agreement with a buyout option?

Of the last 10 small multis (4 or less) in SEATTLE proper, they are not positive on equity/cashflow for 5 years.

I've been communicating with a bunch of realtors inquiring about properties i see on the MLS and i feel like i'm all over the place not taking the proper steps to get to my goal. 

You can definitely do it but you're going to want to find a mentor you can trust to help you and to make sure you're doing everything properly.