Talk to @Dave Foster

Protecting yourself from any future issues will require a good understanding of the situation your house is in when you buy it.Tl;dr: crime here is relatively low, declining population numbers don't take students into account, properties are cheap, rents are high BUT be careful where you buy.This concludes my TED Talk, ha!

The best advice on this topic, in my opinion, comes from 2 books:How to win friends and influence peopleNever eat aloneI am also looking for brokerages to work with or even experienced shadow / intern for to gain experience and additional knowledge.

Talk to lender to find out how to transfer assets without triggering due on sale clause.Did I get all that right?

I want to talk to a realtor who deals in Section 8 properties and knows the ins and outs of these deals. 

Quote from @Garrett Karnath: Quote from @Jason Wray: Garrett,If you are talking about reducing closing costs including the banks side you can ask the sellers for a "Seller credit" which they can offer up to 6%. 

Also talk with an insurance broker and be upfront with them and ask for quotes on a couple on the market deals that would be similar to what you want.

You'd probably need to talk to a contractor and the City. 

You are talking about a new water service line upgrade right?

I actually interned for a company in Iowa City that did real estate, property management, new home construction and development.