Your description is substantially at variance with the views of the contractor, i.e., that the ammonia smell was so strong he refused to enter.

A "note" cannot be construed so that the IRA receives a cut of the profits, otherwise this becomes viewed as equity in the deal and now subject to UBIT.Lending may not be as profitable for your IRA as flipping, even with UBIT.  

I have asked my real-estate agent to supply a list, but I'm wondering if this information is publicly available some where as a database.I guess alternatively I could just drive around my target area on google maps street view and make my own map, but this would take quite a while...Cheers,Tom

If you're only getting advice from person you're missing out on different points of view. 3.

Do I also need to subscribe to these sites to view information for these properties?

That is speculating and not investing.Numbers work going in and the rest is icing on the cake if it happens and if not you hit your goals anyway.It seems the primary reason you are buying is for a home for the family to live in so the investment portion seems like a much less important detail than the emotional component from what you have said so far.Maybe just view this property as a happy family home purchase and then if you like the area once you live there look around for properties where you buy just off of investment from the additional cash flow with the low mortgage payment.

During our second viewing of the property the realtor “gained access” (don’t ask!)

Happy to meet and exchange points of view. 

Sandy:I don't know about all the counties, but I am in Gloucester county and have viewed a couple of the sheriff's websites for neighboring counties. 

The only way to know if it's a decent deal is to view it, run the numbers, and compare it to similar properties in the same area.