So I abandoned that concept and considered other possible ways to use my license profitably.

@Justin Frye,I agree with @Douglas Krofcheck, If she's really not there any more than it sounds like an abandoned property situation and you need to follow through with the eviction process while paying attention to the abandoned property laws for your state.

Turns out I seem to spend a fair amount of time in Orange County as well with my job, but quickly abandoned my So.

Read up on abandonment laws, seems to apply.

I cold call high probability leads like obviously vacant/abandoned houses. 

If they buy it 20-30 years ago, for $30K, and now, since it's been abandoned and it's only worth $10K, it's an ego thing to take a loss... also, sometimes it's a health thing with older people where maybe they want to rehab them, and just don't get around to it, but again won't sell because they think it's worth so much more..  

@Mark Dresdner - Orange and East Orange are both ripe for investment opportunities, but both can present challenges on a block by block basis due to the number of foreclosures or abandoned homes on each block and how it affects overall block value.

I found an abandoned property while driving for dollars.

Drive around looking for distressed properties (any sign of abandonment, I like to get at least 20 properties).

The industrial loft I moved into was an abandoned building that had been converted to rental units and was only 20% filled while construction was going on.