Is there anything that gives a town a unique geographic or economic advantage/moat compared to another town? 

I would look at the cities in NC that aren't geographically constrained (By mountains or water), and superimpose a map of ATL over them.

I ask him why the deed of trust was never filed for me, he doesn’t really apologize or give any explanation but says he will get that done right away.

Nice explanation!

Thank you so much for that explanation and sending me the Purchase contract and the Assignment of Contract Timothy Rogers !

Or the other explanation is that they are cutting corners or doing the bare minimum for it to be code complying or both.

No receipts or invoices.She is now demanding payment based on her vague list of numbers which I cannot verify, and ignoring all my pleas for receipts and explanation of work done. 

Security deposit amountYou can find plenty of examples by searching for "tenant estoppel certificate doc" or exchanging "doc" with "pdf" for more options.Here is an example and explanation: Sample EstoppelSome have a lot of legal jargon but this document does not need to be so detailed.

The only explanation is that it's out-of-towners thinking Clinton County is in New York, so the land must be worth it? 

Thank you all for your prompt reply and in-depth explanation.