Is this normal?

So I'm buying my first place. its 12k and its in the middle of nowhere surrounded by similar places and the town is super small and empty so the price doesn't give off any red flags. I did look at the tax records for the place and it showed that they havent been paid the past few years so itll be around 900 bucks. The seller isnt the person on the list of owners and he said that he would pay the taxes for it at closing. That bit is what im wondering about. This guy also is located a couple hundred miles away and is a realty person aparently. But why might the taxes not have been paid and a realty company owns the place? This house also looks as if one day the people living there just up and left but its been awhile so every thing is dusty. Their stuff is still there and dishes in the sink. There is a giant hole in the ceiling that I did know about and i was planning on fixing. How might I find out if this is a real person selling the place? He did give me the door code and his number was on the "we buy homes" sign on the front lawn. Sorry if its rambly but im hella nervous. i know 12k is peanuts for a house but its ALOTTTTT of money for me.