subject to's and liens
I've been reading posts on subject to transactions and their risks. I haven't seen anyone talk about liens. I have to assume that you need to do a title search and get title insurance when the owner signs the deed over to you, otherwise all their property taxes, second mortgages, and IRS liens now become yours.
If I understand correctly, this is a big risk and a big expense of buying a house subject to... it hasn't gone through foreclosure so the liens have not been wiped out.