Abandoned Homes Off Market Need Your Help

[Pamela Bunkley]

I found this great house in a highly trafficked area.  It appears to be abandon.  When I checked the city records I was able to retrieve a name, but the owner address goes to the abandoned home.  What other options are there in connecting with the homeowners? 

And if abandoned, what's the first trail I should take towards buying?   Who should I contact first? 

[Brent Reynolds]

Quote from @Pamela Bunkley:

I found this great house in a highly trafficked area.  It appears to be abandon.  When I checked the city records I was able to retrieve a name, but the owner address goes to the abandoned home.  What other options are there in connecting with the homeowners? 

And if abandoned, what's the first trail I should take towards buying?   Who should I contact first?

Hi Pamela - 

Couple of thoughts here..

Send a letter to the address on file. Mail may be forwarded at the post office.

Now that you have the name, use your county appraiser's office website to search for other properties owned by the same name.  This may surface other properties owned and some new contact information.

Search the county's online tax records for tax or other liens which may bare more contact information

In Florida, we can contact a title search company directly and pay for an O&E title search (around $100) that essentially does this work noted above and a little more.  You may consider talking to a real estate attorney in your area for advice on how to do something similar and get their help interpreting the results.

Hope that helps!