[john70t]

Those are both "stale" as far sales go. Nobody wanted them the first time around so are sitting on shelf collecting taxes. You should also ask yourself why nobody wants them. There have been some crazy high sales in my neighborhood which has a decent and quiet location but was always working class-ish. There may be something major everybody else knows about, like the city being broke or a major local draw disappearing.

Being in the city vs a rural township might make a huge difference in terms of taxes. They add up over time. I've paid more in property taxes in one decade then I did for my house. And when things go bad they start first in the cities.

Buying closer in for the wife's commute might be convenient now, but times will change. Moving sucks.

You can always write an expiring contingency low-ball offer..with an easy escape clause such as "no problems found".
That might spark interest and negotiation. Or the realtor might toss it without notifying the owner.

See the house, research neighborhood sales first, and drive around on a Saturday night. Does it feel safe?