Other than that, you may just want to consider it a cost of doing business in your specific market.

Is there a specific time period I must remain as a tenant?   

I have been looking in Columbus County specifically in Whiteville, NC. 

It is in your interest to know the areas well before going shopping.Send me a PM with more specific information on where in Uptown your properties are located and I'll see if I can steer you towards some reasonable contractors.

How can I find tax delinquent properties in Essex County in NJ, specifically Newark?

@Mark Creason I should have been more specific.

If you have a section 8 Tenant in New Jersey is there a specific Lease contract you need to use?

While in my search for my first rental property in Lynchburg VA, I’m struggling to stick to a specific area.

Of asking specific questions in the ad that must be responded to. 

There's a wealth of information on Biggerpockets and I would suggest doing some self-educating on the different aspects of REI through the "Education" tab up at the top of the site.To be a little more specific, search for "House hacking" forums and blog posts to get a more in depth look as to how to get started with your condo and /or multifamily plan.Also consider why a condo and not just a multifamily to start...I could almost definitely say you don't need a RE company at this point.Like @Cameron Norfleet said, you could start with reaching out to a lender to see what types of financing you will qualify for.