I'd like to have something official and in writing before committing to anything!

After being outbidded by cash investors several times I bought my first official investment property (2nd home) September 2011:$45K, 3/2 only 1000sqft but sits on 2 acres of land.

The final walk through gives you the opportunity to inspect the property before the official sale.

Do most people have a few contractors provide estimates before ever closing on the property or before even making an official offer?

I am officially full time now with this and I really want to make sure I do everything I can to make this business work for me.

Looking at deeds does not tell you whether a mortgage or other lien exists.To find any mortgages and liens that were recorded on the property, you can search in the County's official records (which for Clermont/Lake County is at https://officialrecords.lakecountyclerk.org/).You want to look for the owner's name(s) and the property address (depending on how you can configure the search) and look specifically for mortgages, liens, and satisfactions as the "instrument type".  

About to close on a new construction townhome in Atlanta in a couple weeks but the builder have not released the HOA covenant or any official HOA documentations.

I was unable to find any official documents.

I know I can't get official, legal advice here, but I definitely need some guidance.Thanks!

I'm reasonably certain that it's a violation of the MA Consumer Protection Act and I've filed an official complaint with MLS to that effect.If nothing else, it puts us Realtors in a bad light when a home is listed at a price that has zero chance of ever being accepted.