I presently live in the Youngstown area and have heard horror stories of properties being sold within the city. Before bidding on the house, you or someone local should take a look at the property offered. Check with the local housing dept. to see if the house is scheduled for demolition. People have purchaced homes on the internet only to find a vacant lot upon arriving in the city. During the 50's and 60's there was a large housing boom, there was also almost a quarter million people in the city. During the late 60's early 70's ther was a migration to the sububurbs. After the steel mills closed in the late 70's a second migration took place leaving a population of about 80,000 residents in the city. There are homes being purchaced at Sherrif sale,(Mahoning county) for as little as 2 or 3 thousand dollars then being "fixed up". After a weekend worth of work, they are being flipped for 2 or 3 times thier purchaced price, sometimes without plumbing, siding, ect. The county auditor is also a good resource to find the actual value, transfers and value of homes in the area. Now that being said Youngstown is a great place to live, we have parks, lakes, entertainment, a great college and a low cost of living, and there are some great home deals to be found. However do your homework just beacause a 3 bedroom 2 bath 2100 square foot home may be worth several hundred dollars in your town don't expect that kind of turnover in Y-town.