How to best pan around the map (control groups, hotkeys, mouse?)

I've just recently started playing AoE2, and I'm having a hard time scrolling around the map. I'm currently using my mouse at the edge of the screen, tab to go to tc, and control groups. Specially the control groups are annoying, as I have to press the number for it twice to go to it. Also, if I have my group of units across the map, add the newly produced units in, and then press the control hotkey twice, I end up somewhere in between the fight and the production...

So I have a couple of questions:

• Is it possible to set the control group button to only click once to go there?
• Should I use my control groups differently?
• Are there any other ways to go around the map that I should be trying/using?

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And to avoid making multiple posts at once, I have another question:

I keep hearing people talk about 1 hotkey for building a house or palisade or such. Right now, I select a villager, I press 'q' to go into the civilian building menu, then press q to select a house. Then I click to build it.

It sounds like having 1 hotkey makes you only select a villager, press the hotkey, and then click to build. I searched around in the menu, but the buildings are already on a single button press, so I don't know how I would set this up in the hotkey menu. Is this possible?