Abandoned residential properties

[Lisa Johnson]

Hi everyone!  I am in the process of starting my new career as a house flipper.  One of my goal is to find/buy properties in my area that are abandoned.  My question is how do I go about this?  If there is no record of owners or I'm unable to contact owners and/ or cannot locate any mortgage liens and the property has been vacant for years, what do I need to do?  Are there forms that could be filled out and ads placed in the local paper?  I really would appreciate the benefit of your experience.  Thank you for your help.