Buying from foreign owners

[Mitchell Martin]

Hi everyone! 

I've been on BP for a while but am fairly new to investing. My wife and I purchased a house hack last March in Davenport, FL and are looking to purchase our next house hack deal soon in the same community. Many of the owners in our community spend a few months out of the year in their home but live in the U.K. We came across a few vacant homes in our neighborhood that are not on the market but show signs of motivation (very tall grass, code enforcement warnings, rough exterior...etc...). Unfortunately, the owners live in the U.K. and in the case of at least one of the homes, the owner has deceased. We've gotten some info from neighbors, county records, and our HOA but have not been able to get contact info of the owners. Does anyone have advice on how to pursue purchasing a deal in this situation? Does anyone have experience buying from a foreign owner?

Thank you in advance!