You have to have blossom to have fruit but you will only get fruit if the tree is pollinated. Some trees are self fertile others need an apple tree which flowers at the same time and they are known as pollinating partners. It is not unusual for apple trees not to have fruit but I have never come across one that did not have flowers. If you cannot ask the former owners perhaps one of your neighbours can shed some light on the mystery.

If it is small enough, it may be too young to bloom, especially if it grew from seed. Around here, the few apples we grow take several years to bloom, if planted bare root.

The previous owner has probably pruned it incorrectly. The flowers develop on fruiting spurs that are produced over a couple of years. And, yes, you do need flowers to produce fruit. Get a book from the local library about how to correctly prune an apple tree.