Under Georgia statue, I can only access the premise without permission in cases of emergency. 

If you are looking in Texas you should check out DFW, New Braunfels, Marble Falls, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin.

First off - stay away from using marble on anything you plan to own. 

A nice bathroom remodel with a wood/granite or marble vanity is at least $8k to $10k but costs me less than $2k..  

I haven't tiled a kitchen in a while, so this has only been at bathrooms with marble thresholds, therefore any bit higher the bathroom floor might be (usually not much, as the flooring in the hall/bedroom is 3/4" HW, and I end up with 1/2" ply, 1/4" CB and then tile it ends up fairly close) doesn't stand out or cause any issues.

The former owner on the way out took a sledge hammer to every piece of granite, marble, and tile in the house. 

That conjures up images of fabulous glittering wealth, statues and buildings erected in my honor, my name engraved on the collective consciousness of humankind across the ages.I am also very aware of the very human failing of self-congratulation.

Since no one has answered I would look it up in the Missouri statues if the are online.

If you're working with a realtor who understands your goals and needs, this won't be an issue and they will be happy to assist and help educate you.I would recommend bringing a tape measure and a marble to each walk-through.

But having in-unit amenities, such as a washer and dryer, central air/heat, hardwood floors and marble countertops - are a different story