I am currently flipping homes in Orange County and just purchased a home at the court house steps.  

In general, the MLS requires that you be a Realtor (additional fee for membership in addition to being a licensed real estate agent), though there may be one federal court district where this isn't the case.  

The question I have is there is about 17K against the owners in the civil and small claims courts, 15 K to a bank (Discover), 2k to a local business and 300 to a local business. 

Buying from an estate is similar to a "normal" sale unless there is court confirmation required due to probate. 

Unless it's a relatively simple job or you've got solid construction experience, you'll want to proceed carefully, as a good GC's markup includes the value of their experience in selecting the right materials at the best quality available.

I am very excited to proceed with my real estate career.

I  proceeded to tell him that I run a REIA group and had access to several investors that might be interested in a place like this and it got his attention so we talked awhile.

It puts the ball in their court to tell you what's up keeping the conversation positive.  

That way if she falls, you would have a better standing in court.  

If you are going to proceed, make sure you get the place appraised to make sure you're not overpaying.