Age old advise; OP, consult a local attorney.

We're about the same age and I live in Cincinnati. 

I think selections should be made based on the particulars of the house, i.e. style, age, lighting, layout, etc.  

With a great passion for real estate at such a young age, I feel that not only my future, but the future of my children can benefit from the successes!

In fact, here is some houses that I was looking at and what they sold for recently:7841 Whitcomb St - Sold for $44,000 (10/21/15)7531 Marshall PL- Sold for $35,000 (12/2/15)7495 Whitcomb St- Sold for $49,000 (10/8/15) Yes, these houses needed some work, etc. but most of the houses in Merrillville do anyways due to age, neglect, etc. 

He's definitely sharp, which is great to see from someone at his age. 

The issue is this, the house has 18k in taxes due and they don't wont the hassle of paying the taxes, they don't want to be a landlord because of their ages and they do not want to lose the house.

Congratulations on your first step towards your goals at such a young age, you're off to a good start!

Hey Sam - welcome to BP and congrats on getting started at a young age!

The age of both buildings is similar, so I suppose that should tell me something :)The seller will "redo" the roof as part of the deal, but that really just means re-apply the waterproof coating.