All the properties that go up for sale are posted via public notice with the county clerk. 

Assuming the owner is still alive and cognizant, I'd call her up and tell her you drive by the sad looking house on Elm Street and found that is the owner from public records.Ask her if she ever lived there and if it has many memories?

I don't know about CA in particular, but the case information is public (but not free).

Once you've found the property in the appraisal district database, take note of the current owner and the lot and block description.THEN, go to the county clerk website and search public records.

We are stepping into this and would need to assume infrastructure responsibilities to include: water, sewer, gas, electric, waste water management, impact fees and initial paving of public cul de sac.

Here's the general tactic:- Use a public records search service, sitx.com, agentpro247.com and search for 2 property types:- zero or a little equity, mail to these folks, buy the property for zero $$, take over paying the mortgage payments.

I have several that have been recommended to me but don't want to post publically.  

Nice to have that "safety" for health insurance for example.

Originally posted by @Bob Estler:A little off topic but, speaking of disabilities, it did come up in one of our certification classes that "Hoarding" is considered a disability now........I think this is because the mental health manual for physicians was recently updated to include hoarding which is in the obsessive compulsive spectrum.

Department of Health and Human Services states: "Medicaid liens protect Medicaid’s interest in the recipient’s former home and its right to recover Medicaid spending before the property can be conveyed to another party.