Zillow by no means is an accurate gauge for anything and their zestimates should be taken with a grain of salt.

Hoping to hear all feedback from anyone who has had experience, positive or negative, with purchasing non-performing notes / non-performing loans. 

Fast forward 4 months and multiple lunches later, I was performing all kinds of tasks for him and soaking up as much of his knowledge and experience as I possibly could!

They may be more accurate in other areas but for instance, in my area the school my own kids go to is rated pretty poorly even though it's one of the most, if not THE most, desireable schools in the city.

Finding a renter who would allow you to perform repairs would be hard, but it sure would be awesome to start collect rent while fixing up! 

As a wholesaler accurate repair costs are what is going to give you credibility when you present the deal to your end buyer. 

Would an appraisal from 2 years ago be ok or not considered accurate enough? 

Your local Multi Listing Service (MLS) will have the most accurate information.

I guess my question is, is it possibly these are back taxes since the property was foreclosed, and if so how would I find a more accurate list of what the taxes would actually be?

If so, how are they performing?