I was surprised when i found a local credit union with a commercial department offering 80% LTV.

So to be safe you should go to the Cobb county planning department and discuss any property you are considering buying with them to make sure it is permitted under current zoning.They likely also have a 'rule book' they go by that you can read if you're a geek like me :) In Floyd it's called the Unified Land Development Code.

My suggestion to you would be to consult with the local building department. 

Your local building department should be able to help with that one. 

Sometimes they will talk directly to the owners but other times if you just contact their real estate department directly they will give you information to their tenant broker to follow up.National companies get submitted a lot what they deem to be subpar sites.

The sheriffs department or courthouse may have this info as well. 

The Zoning Department said they get calls about the property all the time, however it is still for sale +1.5 years.The lots can be redeveloped with single family or multifamily homes. 

But soon came to realize that either they didnt know what i was talking about or they was sending me to different departments. long story short i never got the tax roll. anyway i can get this list???

Sharad has some particularly good tips on identifying what neighborhoods you would want to invest in and checking in with the local police department duty sergeant with respect to crime statistics and desirability of areas. 

I have been in the insurance business (claims department) for the past 16 years and have always been interested in real estate but never had the nerve to pursue it further...I am confident today is the 1st step towards my pursuit of being a full time investor one day.