My deal is stalled/dead, however.

Having said that, in the same way that we can predict the weather (short term), I think we can still predict the collapse of a real estate market - but not dead on accurate of course.

But with a month till poverty or giving up my savings, this condo feels like dead weight. 

I told them no, and figured that deal was dead. 

I had to clean dead baby birds out of the back of a clothes dryer last week.

Also, at some point you'll have to prove there are no living heirs, or actually find them (dead heirs usually have living heirs somewhere).  

I misread your original post and thought the plumbing was "dead" and the roof, appliances, etc. were all going to be replaced soon.  

We view it as a mortgage like any other, period.I've had people try to be sneaky, and then one of the last steps before ordering docs (AFTER clear to close from underwriting, and typically AFTER you have lifted all contingencies) is the fraud check, which sure enough shows the recorded lien, and boom deal dead. 

They might not like the idea of you making money off their dead grandma.

You also will get the name of the decedent (that's the dead person) and in some states you may also get the address where the decedent died or last lived.