I strongly disagree with his view on home ownership. 

Upset sales only divest the ownership of the property.

Is there a way to transfer the house to an LLC at this point?

It had obviously gone into bad disrepair, so I thought I'd do a little research on its current ownership.

also do automatic transfers to that account with each paycheque.For insurance, regular rental insurance through the same company that has my home insurance. 

Would I be getting into ownership at a time that oversupply makes it difficult to keep tenants?

If my family signs the ownership deed to me.

If the County does have any old drawings in their records they may be able to share them; however, you will likely need to prove ownership or provide an approval letter from the current owners in order for them to release anything.

It builds useful skills, teaches you about home ownership (so you learn what clients look at), and generates wealth.

Combing through the tax assessment files, finding the chain of ownership, determining what municipal liens might be attached and scouring Statutes relating to tax foreclosure laws in my state/county (did I mention that I am quite adept at research).