The problem with your second suggestion, having it reference one detail that then references the others, is that you would need to create a matrix of details, with varying callouts for every possible condition.
When instead, it would be very ideal to be able to have one detail for the wall, and a second detail for the Finish.
Some users, when pressed, have admitted they may well like the maximum to actually be three or even four details for a single RefNote.
We also have this request logged for planting, to be able to assign two details to a plant.

Unfortunately though, it falls under the category of "Huge pain in the rear to engineer."
But due to its obvious necessity, it is something we look to be able to accomplish in the Spring of 2016.

--J

Yeah, probably no more than three or four would be needed. Still, I'm thinking that smarter people than me have dealt with this... there must be some 'standard best practice' to minimize mistakes AND the amount of repitition. For example, I could have them theme wall keynote refer to the wall elevation. It would be the primary detail. Then in that detail, I could use the section callouts to reference other details, and then use the 'naked' callout within a notes section of the detail to refer to a finish schedule, wall step, structural detail, etc.

I guess I am wondering what the best practice is...

In the meantime, I am glad to hear that it is being reviewed by LandFX. It would certainly be a benefit in some cases to be able to refer to more than one detail in the refnotes. Even if it is a pain in the rear

Speaking of finish schedules... is there some kind of powertip or trick to creating a finish schedule in LandFX?

t.

For Finish Schedules, you can create one or more RefNote Divisions, and then use a different callout style, for instance the Circle callout style.
We do have some various wishlist items regarding this.
I do also know of at least one user who simply does the Finish schedule manually, as in his case it is rarely more than 10 finish styles and easy enough to manually place his own callout.

--J