The previous owner was in the home when purchased and I have been battling with him in court since early May to get him out of the property. 

Earlier this year we sold most of our material possessions, left our jobs, and began traveling around the country in search of opportunity and adventure.  

I would like to stay on the eastern half of the country, and I would also like to include beach areas (Vs. inland such as TN) as a comparison. 

The local county court house should house the information you desire.

You definitely need to connect with some brokers who specialize in this stuff in the areas of the country you're interested in. 

It will cost you a court filing fee around $300 and attorneys fees of around $500 if you are able to take a default judgment. 

I’ve done a little looking into tax sales and was wondering if anyone has gone this route. I don’t know all the ins and outs of how you obtain this type of property and if it’s even worth it. Any thoughts?

I have the availability of family money to pay cash for it on the court house steps.

If the tenant is sitting there downloading TV shows, music, etc and you're the one paying the bill, you're the one who ends up with your name on the summons when the court comes calling.I'd call the local internet provider and ask what the options are.

On the no AS-IS stipulation, my guess is a court would surmise that purchasing as-is is implied especially with a commercial propertyWhere is the property located ?