I have been looking up properties but what's been holding me back to actually getting them under contract is the fact that I don't have the funds to pay for an attorney to review the contact make sure that it's valid and contains all it clauses.

For the most accurate information you need to obtain the data from the tax office itself.Tidbit:The top 25 counties in the country in terms of number of accounts will each contain over 2,000,000 listings (per county)

If you have done your research and due diligence then you are going to know if that great looking 300 dollar formica countertop and stick on vinyl floor versus the 2000 dollar granite and ceramic tile floor is going to be acceptable in your price range and neighborhood.          

Then they complained that the tile (12x12 ceramic) was too heavy to place on the shower surround.

@Matt Rothwell Pardon the formatting as I just copied and pasted this but it's taken from Appendix C: The Rezoning Process contained within the Raleigh Zoning Handbook:APPENDIX CThe Rezoning ProcessWhom do I contact for rezoning information?

I've also replaced the bathroom floors with ceramic tile.

I also found that sometimes the look that you are going for (texture and no wall imperfections) is easier obtained by replacing all of the sheetrock in rooms that contain plaster which needs patching.

All homes contain mold - even the one that you live in.

From your description, it sounds like the property would be zoned mixed use with more then 50% containing a residential component (what some lenders would consider a Tier 1 property).

This might contain the public record for the subject and you might find recent sales in the project there.