Hi @Jin ZhangAs others have said, call your planning department.

I would essentially have to say I am going depart one and sale or rent out to cover some debt to income ratio and most importantly 1 of the homes is located less than 2 miles away from the duplex.

I have an online community/following which could drive substantial sales at either Lowe's or Home Depot but can't find the person, department, or process to establish a buying group. 

For my clients, I usually call the county's planning and zoning department to confirm they allow STRs, and you also have to double-check if the community is an HOA that allows it as well.

I would recommend calling the city and talk to business department or planning and zoning.

My state has a large supply of tax deed properties in their possession. Are these homes good or bad to purchase from the state for wholesale flips in as in condition?

Everything is fine in that department.

Is there any way to get this information without speaking directly to the planning department?

A few questions you might ask the planning department there:Does your city have a primary residence rule? 

You can even call the local police department for statistics.