I'm brand new in the real estate investing world and I'm trying to understand all the nomenclature and procedures into simply just buying my first single-family home.

Yes, it was added sometimes, but your statements are extraordinarily misleading and hysteria-producing.Extremely low levels that appear simply because a material is naturally sourced haven't ever been show to be a particular danger. 

Its why this whole RE game is so very market specific  one size simply does not fit all. 

If I were to simply pay a flat rate.

Account Closed My reply to Jack is Simply :) In my 10 years in business and Real Estate I can tell you and everyone else that there are good attorneys and bad ones, good chiropractors and bad ones, good financial advisors and bad ones, and finally on this very small list: good Realtors and Bad ones :) (if you think all Realtors are out there looking out for their commission and not your best interest, then it is simple, you are right!) 

(see if the realtor can pull those permits and tell you definitively what its 'supposed to be' as a building).That being said, in the meantime simply reach out to some local banks and tell them about the property and ask if they'd lend on it. 

I realized that if I had my license I could help them out better than if I simply did a wholesale deal.

Think of how much waste has been generated by throwing things out, simply because they are out of style. 

Option 1 would be to have a finders fee contract with them, you simply bring them to the deal and they write the offer direct to the seller with their proof of funds, their EMD, and in the name of their entity.

Routing gutters away from the house is pretty standard and you can simply add extensions to the downspout.