If it’s a good neighborhood in the city, put in the work and money, there will be interest in buying it.

In our market we have one city that gives the voucher holder her/his own bedroom and separates the sexes for anyone over the age of 10 into two people per bedroom.  

If the owner hasn't paid the taxes to the City more than likely he/she won't pay you either.  

City has a code that if utilities are not on for a 12 month period they will never be able to be turned back on. in other words no occupancy for 12 months means it is no longer eligible to be occupied again.

So in many ways, I understand the needs and desires of business professionals that frequent remote cities on short-term engagements, thus giving me an advantage (superficially).

@Ned Carey: Much of the multi-family housing stock in Boston was built during the city's peak population boom, 1890-1930 (brownstones and wood three-deckers alike), as an upper-middle class response to tenements to increase density.

Every state is different as is every city and neighborhood.  

As a resident of New York for many years I will, with enormous difficulty and restraint, refrain from making any comments about the Highway State here.Now to some more of the helpful part:I am reasonably certain the landlord's post-contract stipulation is, as you are certain, illegal.

Being out of state, my knowledge of Atlanta is quite limited, and I'm hoping to get a better sense of the neighborhoods.Are there any good neighborhood guides to Atlanta or other resources that show crime rate, population growth, home values, etc of various cities and towns nearby?

I'm already doing this the hard way, painstakingly combing through city by city, town by town, looking at gross metrics and trying to dig in.