Fate of my neighbor's house?

[Leigh Costain]

Hi All,

My neighbor is 97, suffers from dementia and has no heirs.  Her house is paid off and likely needs a significant amount of work to make it market worthy.

She was just moved into a rest home (a solution she wanted since she is lonely and knew she was losing the thread).

My question is: what will happen to the house? As her closest neighbor, I'm not wild about the prospect of it sitting empty for years, reverting to the city in probate and..then what?

I don't mean to be predatory but is there a way I might buy it to avoid all that?

Leigh