There are nationwide phone records available on CD ROM from most software retailers that can scan for a given name or similar names. If they don't locate the name outright, they are great for f inding relatives. These directories are also useful for identifying former neighbors who are usually willing to provide information about the person that you are seeking. Assuming the person is still alive, he or she will generally leave some sort of paper trail which can be used to locate them. This is public information which can be obtained by writing to the State motor vehicles department, and there is always a nominal fee charged.
Most people have a credit profile.
Most any investigator, for a small fee, can obtain the non-confidential portion of this credit report which can give you an address history to work with. If you have a general area where the person may be, many research services can check to see if the person has utility services in that area, such as electric, gas, cable TV and water. These records are particularly helpful regardless of whether the person you are seeking is renting an apartment or owns a home. If the person owns real estate, those records are public and could provide many leads. Check with each county clerk for those records, or contact an information broker with database access to nationwide real property and mortgage records.