@Kevin O'Brien If a building has 5 or less units, the seller will need to get a zoning certificate prior to closing.

However in Illinois the road is long and rough to gaining the RE Appraising certification.

Originally posted by @Domonique Luchin:@Chris Burnett’s yes I have it’s behind on taxes for about 3 years now Request a copy of the death certificate.

@Ankit Patel yes, it does only apply to liens that the city holds, private owners of tax lien certificates get what they paid for.

If anyone else has experience in this, can you advise to coursework, certifications, or other tools you have used for your success in this field?

When purchasing a property seller should provide buyer with City Certification (often called U&O, which is not exactly correct for Philadelphia). 

How often do you need to get the lead certification renewed?

A few stats on the home which we plan to flip.Purchased for $75k cashRehab estimate is $50kARV is $180 - $200Rehab time is estimated at 60 days (my business partner, whom I formed a company with, owns his own construction company and has his own crew so the cost will only be time and material with no markup)Since the sheetrock is removed I will seek a mold remediation certificate for the buyerAnyways there are many more details than I listed above but that's the short version!!

Estoppel certificates are extremely useful once you get closer to closing.

As it stands, I'm looking into home inspection certifications and requirements.