Am I mistaken and it's actually common practice to write an amount other than the actual deposit in the lease?  

They have been practically 100% occupied for the last couple of years.  

I believe the general practice is that only real estate brokers can enter into a contract to buy or sell a home for a commission.  

I'll appreciate input on any of these areas from those of you with practical experience.  

If I can get away from my sons' baseball practices long enough I will stop by as well. 

If the building has vacant units when we submit an offer, we typically request the Vendor allow us to "assist" with filling it (that way we screen any candidates).We review the Vendors application process and screening practices and often will request to re-screen the tenants - we normally solicit consent while pursuing tenant estoppel certificates.  

I'm looking to sell it for what I can, but since rezoning it back to multifamily so that the current structure is usable could raise the value, is it possible to start a rezoning process while simultaneously marketing a property for sale, or in the case I find an interested buyer, could I sell it to them and then have them pick up with a rezoning attorney where I had left off in the process?

However for a practical matter in the lower price points ( if in deed your buying a low priced home in AL) the commissions are so small agents try to double end as a matter of course.

Dodd-Frank was designed to protect individual borrowers - homeowners - from predatory lending practices. 

Most REO's will not allow you to assign the contract, which means you will need to conduct a double close/simultaneous escrow.