You'll want to get ahold of the child support agency (county) that holds that lien to find out the status of the case.

Find out if the counties you're interested in have the info online or have a way to get it directly.

If you can file a Schedule C with your personal taxes this year, and a Doing Business As (DBA) form for $10 at the local county courthouse, you can apply for a Solo 401(k), which--as mentioned above--has MUCH higher contribution rates.

The reason I am quite sure the bank owned it is the county records showed a foreclosure and quit claim deeds relinquishing rights to the property to the bank.

Most states and counties require any transfer to include stamp taxes based on the value, except to wholy owned subsidiaries.

Sorry forgot to mention...I am from Dutchess County NY and would like to invest in multi family houses in around Hudson Valley NY

Insurance in place, is it feasible to insert a clause in a Rental Agreement stating that for example, "Tenants agree that they will bear full responsibility for any damage, whether through negligence, deliberate act or accident, occuring from fire in any fireplace the determination of which shall be concluded forensically through municipal/county/assign-your-jurisdiction fire inspection" or something of the sort?

You can go to the county records.

I've looked at the official public records in Travis and Bastrop counties, but can't find any NODs.

Investor here over in Contra Costa County.