Purchase price: $80,000 This was our first flip and it happened to need a full re-remodel due to previous owner performing a full demo (sheetrock removed, electrical, plumbing and all left was studs.

The prior owner had a loan on the property when they were sold so I know it's possible, but just have never run into this before.

Noticed it was abandoned, researched courthouse records, determined it was adjudicated to the Parish for non-payment of taxes, submitted purchase request to the Police Jury for amount of back taxes, made required notifications by mail and newspaper, waiting mandatory days for owner to redeem, and when redemption period expired, closing occurred at Police Jury Office.

It's a risk that owners are willing to take to move the rent roll forward. 

For example, source contacts from county lists, listsource or propstream for specific avatars (absentee owners, vacant landlords, pre-foreclosures).

I'd encourage you to do a 3.5% or 5% down owner occupant loan in a more expensive market, local or drivable, over buying a cheap property to cash flow in Ohio or Nebraska - which will require 20% down per property.

I looked up the owner and sent him a letter.

.-- Or, because Westminster allow for non-owner occupied short-term rentals, you rent the whole house for around $4500-$5500 gross monthly rent.Numbers aren't perfect (unless you do the STR), but you own a home that someone else is paying the majority of.

(the owner) is a really good friend of mine and I'm excited to see them start to make improvements to the system. 

Most if not all owner-occupied mortgages will require you to occupy the property for a year unless a major life event causes you to move.