Where to get information on house history, tax lien, & others

[Andri Artayudianto]

Hi, I've been in on BP for close to 1 year now, I think it's time to buy my first house to live in first. I found one (single family) that I like on Realtor.com. I have not made contact with the seller.

I have a few newbie questions: 

1) How do you know if the seller owes taxes. 

2) I can see the house purchase history on Realtor .com, but can the information be trusted?

3) The house was worth over $300,000 before the crash. It is now $79,000. Very good neighborhood. Rents average $2000. Now all the other houses in the area are worth way more than that. I'm afraid there's a catch to it. How should I find out the truth about why the price is very low?

4) What else do I need to know about the house before making an offer

I'd really appreciate your guidance. Thanks.