They said the were going to have their home insurance policy cover it and they had already paid the deductible, but getting any other information has been difficult to get because they aren't answering my agent's specific questions.

Always good to check with a local attorney to make sure there aren't any crazy laws on the books in Mississippi.

Every part of town has it's quirks like some parts you really need to check out the houses foundation/basement as there are heavier clay soils, some are full of meth heads, some at first blush may appear not too attractive but drive around and you'll find lots of older people still living there taking care of their yards, keeping everything up though the racists will say the houses aren't worth anything.   

As experienced agents know, some preapprovals aren’t worth the paper they’re written on due to sloppy/incomplete work on the lender’s part and/or misrepresentations on the buyer’s part. 

These are usually that the property is low priced and licensed brokers aren’t interested, the property needs extensive rehab and the typical MLS buyer is looking for a move in ready home (although this is no longer true in major markets), the seller is anti social and can’t deal with brokers and buyers and the wholesaler can account for this, or the seller is naive and thinks he’s saving a commission.5.

1) no you don't need a realtor, you can contact an attorney2) you aren't technically paying cash, you are technically getting a loan, and that has nothing to do with using a realtor2a) if you want a realtor and the estate doesn't want to pay fees it sounds like you'd have to pay for the realtor's services 

Truth is you aren't seeing anything for a couple of reasons: 1.

@Brittany Baker You as the homeowner can count as the tenant, except you aren't paying yourself rent.

Phoenix is getting more and more expensive and numbers aren't working very well there anymore. 

Builders aren’t building starter homes anymore.