The ones outside of Atlanta meet less frequently, and at hours when I"m not normally available. 

If I was the seller I know I would.You’re trying to buy an “investment” but acting as a normal owner occupant.

Now both of those lines have been combined into one (philly has combined wastewater system so this is normal).Well I decided to poke around behind the finished basement walls with a handy handheld inspection camera.

As you go through each crazy adversity your skin will thicken .

To my thinking, if you're in the right neighborhood and can Airbnb or short-term rent that unit for 2x normal rent, that could make sense.

I asked to terminate the contract and although they apologize for the very poor communication, they are sticking to the term of the contract that states they get a half months rent for termination within a year... is this normal?

I'm not just a huge fan of the industry as a whole since it's flooded with lots of newbies who really don't have any business being involved in real estate transactions with no skin in the game, no investing knowledge, and no penalties if they screw a buyer or seller over.

Any "as-is" reference would normally relate to the physical condition of the property itself - NOT to any taxes, liens or mortgage(s) against the property.

Like does he needs to charge me more than a normal service...? 

You’re finding out how it normally works and why the “low money down” doesn’t really work well.You’ll need that money to your contractor up front.