Sorry for the long winded back story, but end game is to put a A frame on the existing 20x40' stem wall above near where I"m standing, and put some stairs into a drop down area below for chairs/fire-pit overlooking the river canyon below (but out of view) under where the drone is flying.

Your path will likely get you to where you desire, it will just take a little time. 

I’m willing to put in the time and effort to learn and grow in this industry, but I could really use some guidance on where to start.

Oh, where do I begin?

At least that is my experience in my market, where almost everything is 60+ years old and has un-permitted illegal work.If you just want to close on time with minimal hassle?

Next BIG item, where is the video walk through????? 

This is where an eldercare lawyer can help a lot. 4.

@Ricardo Guzman-Hernandez your PMC should be able to provide you copies of court notices and other supporting paperwork.You can also Google the court - many now have a website where they post case updates.

@Patrick Pan, if I was operating in a state where that was a concern I would just contact their current landlord for a reference.

I like both of your ideas so I would look for the single where an ADU is permitted or one with a dump ADU to renovate (that's best) and balance that against the purchase of a 2-4 unit.