Just the nature of small town workers not all are professionalized:  bank account, newer smart phone, have cash to wait for a check to clear etc.A contractor suggested I use green dot prepaid card to pay him. 

Sometimes it is hard to garner things from posts because of the terms being mixed up or misused.That said, OP (brother et all) purchased an asset that naturally flows into real property at auction.  

These transactions are much more complex in nature and I have a specific skillset which adds a lot of value.There are potential clients that believe they know it all and everyone else has limited value.

@Zach SchwarzmillerOne flooring choice for bathrooms and laundry not mentioned here is linoleum {I am referring to real linoleum here and not the incorrect use of the noun in reference to sheet vinyl}It's available in a variety of colours/patterns, is organic and naturally anti-bacterial, and lasts well.

And the nature of real estate and all of its advantages (tax deductions, principal pay down, appreciation, time value of future payments, etc.) in the long run can turn just a good deal into a phenomenal one.The area has seen some awesome appreciation and rents are rising so I'm very glad I did it even at asking.  

Assuming you are successful and you offer enough money, you will need to have a surveyor figure out how much of his land to take in order to give you adequate frontage, lot width, setbacks, etc... and still leave your neighbor with enough land to be sure his property still conforms to current zoning. 

I do wonder though, because no one can predict the future (whether or not payments are made, a foreclosure can go through, a property can withstand a natural, or non, disaster) - aren't there assumptions made in every statistical model made for notes (any real estate investment)? 

I found this:§ 5307.01Tenants in common, survivorship tenants, and coparceners, of any estate in lands, tenements, or hereditaments within the state, may be compelled to make or suffer partition thereof as provided in sections 5307.01 to 5307.25 of the Revised Code.The content of the petition is governed by statute:§ 5307.03.A person entitled to partition of an estate may file his petition therefor in the court of common pleas, setting forth the nature of his title, a pertinent description of the lands, tenements, or hereditaments of which partition is demanded, and naming each tenant in common, coparcener, or other person interested therein, as defendant.The Court orders partition:§ 5307.04.If the court of common pleas finds that the plaintiff in an action for partition has a legal right to any part of the estate, it shall order partition of the estate in favor of the plaintiff or all interested parties, appoint one suitable disinterested person to be the commissioner to make the partition, and issue a writ of partition.

I would make offers in area 77406 with natural gas.

I searched my town and other local towns around me and didn't have to go through as many inactives.I also employ natural selection haha!