cash purchase with no agent in wayne county

[Matthew Harrison]

I am considering making a cash purchase on a low priced home in wayne county with no agents involved and a motivated seller.  I have started to research the steps of due diligence but am still fairly nervous.  I was hoping to get answers to some general questions for clarification.  Is a title company needed? or just very convenient? the same with title insurance, needed? or just generally accepted as the smart thing to do? at what point does the city perform a occupancy inspection? does doing the deal person to person with no agent somehow hide the transfer of ownership from them and they would need to be told, or will they notice a filing of certain paperwork and contact me? and lastly....is there a link or advice to where i can find a clear simple checklist of steps to closing your own deal? Thanks for reading...