Getting an environmental study completed and obtaining all of the approvals needed from the local municipality before actually purchasing the property is also a way to reduce a potential disaster. 

You will be paying market price for the place at best (which if that is your MO then that is fine but you need to consciously know you are buying it at market value).2) Comparables are 192K means that you would be buying at 114.6% of market value.

Call the local state entity that handles environmental issues for the EPA.

This has definitely helped.I had to make a conscious decision to work while I flipped houses initially until I really got my business off the ground.

I spoke with a friend who is an environmental engineer who said that it could be the ground water (rare but possible).

I have found in order to have the right contractors and to have a happy medium that we have to be conscious of all of the things I mentioned before.I don't take on jobs where the investor provides materials.  

If so, liens are extinguished unless environmental liens from DEQ.

We ask the tenants to inform us of any problems that may arise, but take responsibility ourselves to do periodic inspections of the property.You may want to explore the aspects of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED).

I wouldn't worry too much about location since independent inspectors will usually travel a wide area.This person was recommended to DIG members - I have not had any need to use him yet:Rob LunnyLunny Environmental

During my hiatus from the BP site I enrolled back in college to pursue my Masters in Environmental Engineering and got married just a little over a year ago.