How to Find Abandoned Properties and Their Owners
To find abandoned properties, you need to come up with a strategy that can almost always ensure that you get good leads. We’ve listed the reasons why getting an abandoned property might help you come across some attractive profits, and now we’re going to go ahead and do just that.
Here are some of the best ways to find abandoned properties and make the search much easier.
Drive Around
This is one of the most solid ways of getting leads on vacant properties. Chances are that your area has no shortage of people who want to get rid of their unoccupied properties. Driving around in your neighborhood is a good start, and you can expand your search to nearby areas subsequently.
You don’t even need to drive around for hours at end to find abandoned properties. Just make sure you mix up your routes that you take usually, and go to different places every time. Keep an eye out for any telltale signs i.e. properties in a state of disrepair, with no people, no lights, etc. You’ll be surprised at what you might find.
Local Post
When in doubt, reach out to your local post office and their workers. These folks tend to know which areas or places don’t receive mail. This is because vacant properties receive notices from the post office so that mail is not delivered there, and therefore not end up at the post office being piled up. This has the benefit for real estate investors; they can usually ask post office workers about which places don’t receive mail anymore. And there’s no need to show up at your local mailman’s route when just going to the post office could suffice. A couple of inquiries later, you will be well on your way to find abandoned properties.
Research
This is another method to find abandoned properties easily, sometimes even before a property in question becomes vacant. You need to spend some time researching real estate sales. Note down addresses, so that you can use this information to search for the name of their owners. Once you have this information, you can find the owner’s contact numbers and be on your way to inquire about the state of their property. Doing so is a good way to find out if a place may go vacant in the foreseeable future, or even now when you’re here to help owners solve their issues.
Advertise
Advertise your services. Post an ad in the classifieds or online and let people know you’re on the prowl for vacant properties. You will be pleasantly surprised how many neighbors who live near an abandoned property will be only too willing to give you information. This is because they see these abandoned places as an eyesore, even a security concern in their immediate surroundings. They’d rather that the place has owners that they are familiar with.
Because of these considerations, real estate investors can rely on advertising their services and get the word out to neighbors who want better for their community.
How to Find Owners of Abandoned Properties
This is where it gets a little tricky. You will have to dig a bit deeper to find the owners who left behind these places. Here’s how you can do it:
· Leave a note at the door of an abandoned property. You can also do the same for the mailbox. Obviously, you may be wondering that if the property is vacant in the first place, why even bother leaving a note? This is certainly true, but sometimes the neighbors can also help to track the owners down once they see you’re interested in selling the property. It’s a long shot, but better than nothing.
· Try asking the neighbors near the abandoned property. Chances are they know the owners and may have information to contact them. A good idea is to be clear in your communication with them, and let them know you’re looking to buy the place.
· Check tax records of the property. You may be able to pinpoint the owner.