Distressed Dream Apartment...If Only I Can Locate Owner

[Ryan Fisher]

The other day I'm driving through a nice part of town (which I have driven hundreds of times) turn right and see this deserted 10-unit apartment which reminds me of all the stories on BiggerPockets of investors finding diamonds in the rough driving though town.

Is this it? 

A real estate investors dream?

I park my car, get out, and knock on the first door (obviously do not know any other better way to find out who owns this), no response.  Knock on the 2nd door, no response.  Takes me getting to the fifth door til somebody finally answers.

We get to talking and he says in the last 5 years only 2/10 units have been rented, and those two units pay only $500 which is drastically below market rent.  He then proceeds to show me his unit which I instantly notice the landlords are slumlords. (I am starting to get real estate excited...not sure if that is a term).

I ask him a few questions and he tells me the previous owners passed away almost a decade ago and the property passed to their heirs in which the property then quickly fell into dis-repair and people started moving out.  This whole time I am thinking of all of the opportunities to improve the property and fill all of the units!!

We exchange information and he gives me the owners name and #.

Fast forward a few weeks, me and real estate agent still can not get a hold of the owner and the reason I am hopping on here is to ask the community how best would you go about contacting the owners to buy this property.  

Code enforcement(disgusting living conditions), the city? Any and all ideas would be appreciated.

[Marc C.]

You have the names of the heirs or the probate attorney? Skip trace? I like www.tlo.com, but there are many. 

Have you consulted a probate attorney for advice? What do probate records show for the names and addresses of the heirs? 

Where is the property tax bill getting mailed? Are the taxes current? If so, someone at that address is getting the tax bill.