Using county records for first deals off MLS. How to proceed

[Mike Burke]

So here I am looking for my first deal on and off of the MLS. The house down the street and the house next to my brother in-law are both vacant or what seem to be.

So I search county records and find something for each house. They are in 2 different counties. One county record was full of information and the other showed nothing at all. I tried names, address and lot/block.

House 1 is literally a few houses away. The deed was put from male and female into just the males name. Public records show his address is the house but it looks and seems vacant. Do I just type or write a letter and send it to the address and hope if he doesn't live there it gets forwarded to an address he lives at or do I go to a title company?

House 2 is the house next to the in-law who says it has been vacant for awhile(years). When I search the counties public records I cannot find anything. I can find information from other 3rd party websites but nothing from the county. How can I proceed with this? Do I need to go to a title company for a search of the owners? Tax records claim it is up to date since Nov 2016 and the owners address is this house but it is vacant since before that.

This is my first deal so I am trying to learn the steps as I go. Am I understanding what I am reading by wanted to go to a title company to perform a search for the owners? Whether it is the owner who lived there or the bank of it is a foreclosure and hasn't been updated yet. If it is not a bank owned property, do I just write a letter to the address is the house asking if they will sell and leave my information to call, email, or send me a letter back?

Thank you everyone in advance for your help/insight/replies.