If you get a favorable judgment in small claims court, you would probably need to get a debt collection attorney to actually extract the judgment from the daughter (assuming she is not completely judgment proof and has the ability to pay).

I'm focusing on paying off some debt over the next year or so and once that's gone I'm hoping to start buying and flipping, or buying rentals.  

I'd go to the family, find out what other debt they have on the house, then offer to pay off the taxes and give them cash up to your max price in exchange for the house.

@Robert JuanesWhen working the numbers it is customary not to include the debt service (mortgage) or the capital expenditures in your operating expenses.

For buy and hold properties, this means including debt service, taxes, insurance, management, and reserves for vacancy/maintenance/repairs. 

@Andrew Farmer      The Executor is the only person who needs to sign and show up at settlement.

Hi @Bradley Hardin Make sure to the debt service coverage ratio is above 1.5.

I am going thru a divorce, will receive a settlement.

So with that being said, my strategy is to continue to acquire more mortgage debt while rates are still this low.

That's not necessarily a problem actually, the problem I am seeing when I run the numbers is that my debt. to income now won't let me finance the St. louis property.