Wilmington, MA · Member since 2015 · 32 posts · 2 votes
There is this really rundown vacant house that is in a great location and it's surrounded by some really nice houses that have all rebuilt them over the years and I would love to flip it if I could get a good deal on the land but I can't seem to get in touch with the owners. By the looks of the tax record, it's owned by three people (probably an inheritance), the taxes are paid every year so they didn't forget about it but the only address listed is a po box. Should I just write a letter, what would I say? Is there another approach to this maybe to get more info about why it's just vacant?
Go knock on the neighbors' doors. Neighbors almost always know what's going on and would typically be glad to help you out if they thought you could eliminate a huge problem and eyesore for them.
If that doesn't work, try a letter. Check this site for some ideas and examples:
After that, you'll want to track down phone numbers and home addresses for all of the owners. Talk to whoever you can get in touch with. I've used beenverified.com for this with some success. They look scammy but I've been using them for years and they are legit. Many of the phone numbers tend to be out of date but it can also help you find their other relatives and connections. It can get downright creepy....