I was thinking something like:1) Bring in an inspector (as if selling the place, except maybe even more thorough, since there's no incentive for the transaction to succeed), and have them draft up a well-documented report.2) Use said report as a baseline, and make it clear that any slippage caused by their neglect, even if it's major repairs caused by waiting too long to bring something to my attention or get it handled, is their responsibility.3) Get additional insurance (umbrella policy), to better guard against the liability thing I mentioned above (not sure if this is worth it though, if I already have liability insurance for the property).Any advice, or similar experiences/stories, are most welcome!

You need to focus on building your cash through real estate transactions and or wholesaling before to try to invest or flip.

I agree - you need to establish relationships first via good work,  then move from a transactional deal to a trusted relationship. 

Since online auctions frequently now require deposits by credit card, you may be stuck with your deposit at risk if you win the bid and don't complete the transaction. 

I have emailed the historical water department with a foia request to try to get a bill that could read the property as a 2 unit but haven’t had any luck.Thank you in advance for your time.

@Michael Breedlove it’s the same amount of transaction work to buy a 4 Plex as a SFR.

We have all of our necessary loan documents prepared for the borrower transaction but we are looking for a document that breaks down the roles/responsibilities/terms for our investors for each deal.As way of background, our outside investors will have no ownership interest in the HML business.

Apparently, the Building department is weighing the question if the house needs a garage to obtain a C.O. or is the driveway sufficient to provide the parking the Municipality requires.

I can't do all the sifting through deals, checking out properties, and facilitating the transaction.

Example: evictions records, newspapers (the worst place to advertise is often the mom n pop landlords go to), local (city) complaints department etc.