The rule of thumb is to match your net worth with liability coverage, but even if your net worth is lower now than it will be someday, you can be sued and future earnings can be taken--portion of your paycheck for the next 10 years...etc very similar to alimony or child-support. 

I just found out that (her children's father) relocated to Las Vegas and he doesn't pay child support.

We plan to pay this property off in 10 years and at that time use the cash flow to invest in our child's education.  

This way you will know if the seller has IRS liens, liens on the property or child support due or any other items that cause the title to the property to not be CLEAR.But yes, it is legal and this is a great way to find foreclosures before they become foreclosures.

I am my mother’s only child and practically only family.

I had a similar experience a while back, when out of curiosity one day, I got my birth certificate and put the address of the first house that I lived in as  a child in Google Maps.  

Fast forward to two years ago...We moved into a SFH due to the arrival of my second child.

When LJ was 9 years old he decided that he was going to buy a house when he 'grew up" because we were sponsoring a child through "Save the Children," and when he found out that the little girl we were sponsoring slept on a muddy, dirt floor he decided that he would save up for a home so that he could keep "poor people" from sleeping on dirt floors. [ one Autistic super-power, perseveration] I  told him that if he wanted to do that then he should start saving money.

Kids under age with no parent or legal guardian are generally turned over by police to child services as the property is emptied.If you didn't cover all tenants known and unknown then eviction would only cover tenants names on the lease with the landlord and the other unknown tenants you would have to do an eviction AGAIN for those.

I lived there for ten years - part of that time  with wife and child.