Since Alabama was an area on your short list so I figured I'd drop you a link to The Ultimate Guide to Grading Birmingham Alabama Neighborhoods.

I will take any other suggestionsAs Cleveland was on your short list I figured you'd get some value out of reading The Ultimate Guide to Grading Cleveland Neighborhoods.

These require a properly sized escape window (minimum 5.7 square feet of openable window, 5.0 if your at grade) a smoke detector in the bedroom, a smoke detector outside of the bedroom within 15 feet of the bedroom door, possibly a carbon monoxide detector outside the bedroom (same rule as smoke detector that is outside the bedroom).  

I just spoke to the city and they said it was run through the neighbors property because the grade of the lot put the sewer line much lower than the street it butts up against.

You should focus on school and good grades until you graduate

Since BHam is on your short list I think you'll find a ton of value out of reading The Ultimate Guide to Grading Birmingham Alabama Neighborhoods. 

A lot of this has to do with outside drainage (grade sloped away from the foundation, gutters and downspouts pointed into the yard, etc.)

Since you're looking at KC I figured I'd drop you a link to The Ultimate Guide to Grading Kansas City Missouri Neighborhoods.

Long story short, I put in a claim with the state and they settled with me after many phone calls for a dollar amount and did considerable work to the new road (new grading, storm drains, & cleaning the outlet a block down) and my property (retaining wall, moved my driveway, etc.) to help remedy the situation. 

Property had been flipped with contractor-grade kitchens a few years prior to purchase...so everything was pretty much turnkey, minus a new electric panel needed to add second washer/dryer hook ups in the basement.