Buying a tax lien foreclosure?

[Jerel Garner]

Hello All I am New to BP and Real Estate Investing. I am considering my first deal as a JV with a relative. Here is the situation:

My relative has been a tenant in this home for a year and a half with out any problems with the home such as plumbing, electrical, heating, etc. The thing is the property manager stop collecting rent about 5-6 months ago, and has disappeared off the face of the earth. In the mean time the current tenant (my relative), has been receiving letters, at the home, from the county stating that the home is going into foreclosure unless the back tax are paid/disputed by March 31, 2014. If the owner does not pay the taxes by the deadline we are considering paying the back taxes and taking ownership of the own.
the plan would be for my relative to stay in the home while we do some minor cosmetic updates and then flip the house or rent it out.

Oh yea one more thing the house is in Detroit.

Any comments/ suggestions would help? Thanks in advance!