You can do this by having a thorough home inspector come out after getting into contract, or if you are comfortable, set up a walk-through with some experts on your own. 

Most of the time you only need to pull a permit if an inspector condemns a property and they say you need to pull one.

They only approve what they think when the inspector comes out, and the appeal process is a PITA.

Then the inspector needs to come out but has to catch them all there for  a violation which is tough as many work.Used to have a person renting out his house and slamming people in there to live.

If so, how difficult is that building inspector?

to expand on shauns post, you need a good team around you. like a good title company, good home inspectors, handyman, mortgage company, etc.

I want a canceled check from the tenant buyer not to be in my company name but in the name of an attorney or a title company.I bring the earnest money agreement to the title company or attorney's office, and then the tenant buyer receives seven days to get a property inspector through the property to be fully satisfied that the property is in good working order.If all goes well, tenant buyer will go down to the title company or the attorneys office and enter into a lease option with the seller, bringing with him the other 50% of the option fee and first and last months rent for the lease.I have an assignment agreement that assigns my lease and my option tenant buyer for a fee.

County records, inspector, USPS?

I have a goal to begin investing by May 2015 in Cleveland.Currently I work as a Certified Home Inspector in Cleveland Ohio.  

Thats the first thing im going to ask the inspector about.Im thinking of taking a medium risk approach: which I suppose would be putting a little more down on each property to allow a little more monthly cash flow to cover unexpected expenses.