Locating the owner of a property sounds a little easier than it can be sometimes. Many times, owners of boarded up properties don’t want to be found. Don’t be surprised if only two owners out of your twenty properties contact you. Remember, diligence is the key to successful real estate ownership. Don’t give up!
Here are the methods I have used to locate absent property owners. I have had fairly good success using these methods.
The first thing you need to do is find out who pays the property taxes on the house. It’s easy. Go to your county assessors' office. The records they have on file are public knowledge. Ask the receptionist how to look up houses. Go through and find the names and addresses of all the houses and owners on your list. Many times, there will be a picture of the house. My assessors' office allows me to copy the records, which make it easier than jotting all the information down. If you are not able to do that though, be sure to write the owner’s name and address, assessed value of the house and any other information that you think you may need when contacting the owner.
Once you have a name, look in your local phone book. Many owners live in the same town as the property you are interested in. Get a phone number if possible.
If you can’t find the owner locally, look in the Internet white pages. I have found many owners on the Internet.
Write a standard letter saying you are interested in buying the property at such and such address. If the address you have for the owner is different than the property address you are interested in, chances are you will make contact. If the address of the owner is the same as the property address, chances are you will get your letter returned.