Also, do you have lead-based cert as they require in Cleveland? 

@Alecia Loveless could you please take a look at https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/12/topics/1175759-certa... thanks!

If your property is on a side street I bet it is zoned RS which is residential single family (RT is the zoning for apartments) which means your zoning cert as a 2 is grandfathered in, not usually a big deal. 

Some companies have an overlay which requires more down. ( we require 20% down on Conventional Loans )Credit Score generally needs to be mid 600'sAlso most lenders require a structural Engineer's Cert as well as the affidavit of affixture. 

Have him provide you with an insurance cert as additional insured for his worker's comp and if he's the named insured on the policy and not the old business I'd feel okay with it.

You should received a zoning cert as a 2 unit

How much is a furnace, a furnace cert, a hot water tank.

If so, I'm all ears -- Thank you in advance.Sounds like there is an item on the lien cert -- a large unexpected item -- that the seller doesn't want to pay.Anything that arises before a buyer takes title would ordinarily be the seller's responsibility UNLESS the buyer agrees otherwise.

Or, as is usually the case, if it's a contract between the licensed contractor and a public entity i.e. a city, county, state, or Fed, school or a municipality project/s, etc. then it is also required to show proof of LIABILITY INSURANCE by producing a CERTA lot of folks overlook or don't even think about WORKERS COMP & LIABILITY INSURANCE  but it is one of the most important elements of a contract.

@William Owens At least for Iowa to assign the tax cert, the assignee signs the back of the tax cert, and then a fee of $100 is paid to the County Treasurer that issued the tax cert, as an assignment transaction fee.