The foreclosure would be finished well before I could even begin to start rehab, obtain permits, get a certificate of occupancy and find a tenant.

If you rent that out without a true Certificate of Occupancy, a tenant can sue you for ALL of their rent money back. 

I also am starting a 4-class certificate program in REI.

The townhouse we are looking at has a Certificate of No Harassment in place, open violations and a vacate order.

The great thing about living in a high cost of living area is that your salary / wages are hopefully also very high.If you are a new college grad, I would focus the next 1-3 years on increasing your salary as much as possible(gain new skills, new certifications, change employers, etc).Once you make more money, you can easily get in a position to buy a property on a more frequent basis.Best of luck!

The Phila.gov website says this is needed to get your wholesaler license:InsuranceYou must provide a Certificate of Insurance that includes the minimum amount:General Liability Insurance: $1,000,000 per occurrence

It would be wise for a buyer to feel confident that the building is in good structural condition, that it has a certificate of occupancy.

Whenever you plan on buying a property in the future, do not take the seller agent word for it always do your due diligence and make sure you get a certificate from the township that clearly states how many units are legally allowed in that building. 

Only thing better would be initial deposit and then paid in full upon Certificate of Occupancy and punchlist complete.Of course, standard items should also be checked: licensed, insured, willing and able to pull all required permits, reference checks.I would also commonly avoid the cheapest bid you get.  

Very rarely are there postings in Notice of Judgement of Foreclosure docs and Certificate of Forfeiture of Real Property.