As far as the current owner of the neighbor's house you might want to contact that bank or mortgage company and talk to somebody in the Foreclosure Department

Pros: tax credits, making money from the sun, easier to install with new construction or major rehabs, and Many more.Cons: utility companies suck, building departments don’t always know what solar is or how to inspect it, maybe aesthetics but we never got any complaints. 

You are under the thumb of the department of real estate.

Jefferson Smith I just used my local bank’s commercial lending department.

@Brandon McDowellThe closest thing you can do is get what's called a US Department of Veterans Affairs Loan,....which is designed for Veterans like us to get a property that needs TLC on it.

I may even check with the NY State, Board of Real Estate, Department of Licensing.

Even call the local police department and ask them what they think of the neighborhood.

@Colin Gearity - start with the local Building Department.

In NYC, it's the buildings dept, you go in, give them the address, and back then some years ago, they give you the actual paper file, but I have to leave my drivers license which they'll give back when I return the files.So logically, if they have a department that issues permits and approve plans, they should have the original plans around somewhere.

Before you ask, yes, in the last 10 years I did have a small section of vinyl replaced when the departing renter ripped the vinyl with an appliance.