I was recently called in for an interview after first participating in a phone interview.  During the phone interview my salary requirement was discussed, so I figured I was still within range of consideration.

After reviewing my job category more thoroughly during the process of seeing what typical, stated salary requirements are on the side of employers in job postings, I'm seeing that my asking salary was waaaay high, and, my salary history does not reflect it.  The reason my salary requirement was so high is because I'm admittedly a horrible negotiator and I felt that my experience needs to someday pay off.  I keep getting pigeon-holed into a certain salary, presumably because my history indicates that I'd take less and I keep getting low balled.

On my in-person interview, they required me to take two tests and, although the employer stated that the tests hadn't been tested for accuracy of proven skill sets, I don't think I did too badly on them.

I was given the company tour and the interviewer stated that I appeared to bring a lot to the table and that I looked like a good candidate for the job, and also stated that I did very well on one of the tests--the other he hadn't seen the scores yet.  I almost felt like he was going to present an offer right then and there, but he stated that there was one more interview after me and he'd have to go to the Board of Directors before making an offer to the final candidate.

He asked me via email to send my salary history and salary requirement.  The following Monday, I received a rejection letter stating that they were "interviewing" a candidate better suited for the job.  Not "the position has been filled", but, "they are interviewing".  Hmmm...

So back to the drawing board, submitting applications online, I see a very similar job posting--posted on the same day that I got my rejection letter, but it's an anonymous posting so I do not know who the employer is.  The position title is different--almost as if they adjusted the title to sound less "important", using the word "assistant" in the title.  Some of the same software applications were noted in the latest posting as was the previous posting so I have a huge hunch that it's the same employer. So, I mailed my resume to the new posting with salary requirements/history (as requested in the ad) after bringing my salary requirement down to a more reasonable level (a range of about $10,000 less).

Let it also be noted, that during the interview, the guy seemed to have a pretty good sense of humor and had also noted that I was the first candidate to show up on time.  After the in-person interview, I sent him a follow-up email via my cell phone thanking him for his time and stated that "I hope his last interview was a nightmare.  Did they show up late too? (Just kidding)".  I'm thinking that was a drastic "no no" in afterthought, although it was meant purely in sarcasm.

So, my question is:

What do you think is going on here?
1.  My salary requirement was too high and I overestimated myself out of a job?
2.  All job applicants' salary requirements were too high so the Board of Directors requested that he declassify the job to a lower level and repost it so they get lower salary requirements from applicants?
3.  My follow-up killed all chances?
4.  The last applicant was more skilled?
5.  Combination of the above.