Just make sure there are no roadblocks that will prevent you from executing your plan so you are confident the yield you expect to reach on the backside is achievable. 

You may not want inspectors referred by your agent because they may be incentivized to say less to prevent scaring new buyers away.

Shortly, prior to closing a Notice of Sale is recorded which alerts everybody that a transfer is about to take place which stop/prevents/alerts nobody else to try to affect the Title chain (I forget the exact mechanism for this). 

@Jennifer Cropper It’s a two party check that must be signed by both of you….what prevents you from depositing it into Your account?

That wouldn’t necessarily prevent the seller from going under contract/escrow with another buyer….since there is no  longer any contractual obligations to sell to you, the release of the EM is a separate issue.  

I don't see anything unusual about that door that would prevent them from repairing it.

Also, sounds like the seller's forgot to disclose a 3 year lease, which really prevents anyone from using the property for their own purposes, so that's pretty material.

Any suggestions on how this might be prevented or deterred?

-Preventative maintenance plan-scripts...

I have now written a letter to the smoking neighbor (who is the owner of the below unit, not a tenant) and forwarded the tenant’s letter to the HOA, pointing out the clause in the bylaws preventing any "noxious or offensive trade or activity" (there doesn't seem to be anything specific to smoking, but I think this clearly covers it).