A neighbor offered him $100,000 for the place so it must not have been in too bad of shape. OTOH, if he can buy it for $100k, fix it up for another $50k, and sell it for $200k, then it's worth it.
I suspect it's that sort of situation -- a trashed house in a neighborhood that's on its way up. It explains not only the offered price, but also the complaints.
Absolutely. Probably the same reason for the high fees placed on the poor old fella. What old person could pay those kind of fees? This whole thing is sad, reminds me a little bit of Ruby Ridge and the McGuckin cases in N. Idaho.