If you find something that is properly zoned, next hurtle would be price. 

While I think I am still over a year from moving/purchasing anything, I'm curious what other people are looking at as potential opportunities as well as the hurtles in the redevelopment of New Bedford?

I'd do a search here on BP for Cat urine, pet damage, you'll probably find some interesting recaps of what people have had to deal with.SFH are hardest to keep track of with inspections,, in a complex a neighboring tenant usually will rat out someone that's off the chain so to speak and it a lot of noise is coming from the unit.. and a apartment has much less to damage then a entire house.

I remember the best years ago when my father was teaching me all about rental real estate in Australia.It was not unusual to had several European generations living in a home & they often collected a substantial amount of urine to boost the soils deficient in N, K & P under the fruit trees we had on the properties.

Company came out, tested and declared it could be "cleaned and sanitized" but the stains, which might be rusty water or pet urine, can't be removed. 

You are likely to smell urine no matter what.This is another reason you do not want PETS in a rental.

After my inspection of the property, I found roof rat droppings, urine stains and insulation tunneling in the attic, along with damage to vents and chewing on wires.

I'm determined to get over these hurtles and get started so any advice and guidance would be much appreciated. 

Give it a bare minimum amount of time then contact the relatives and let them know you are interested in buying.Death and cat urine are the smell of money.

The city was power washing the human urine and feces off the sidewalks.