Summarize:

Neighbors may be willing to reveal important information about other owners that would be difficult to obtain elsewhere. If local residents are familiar with the owners of the property, you can learn if the owners are approachable people. Especially if the property is a home you want to purchase, assess the condition of the surrounding lots. If the entire neighborhood looks run-down and abandoned, the search may not be worth your time. Don't hang around too much or the neighbors may start to get suspicious. If you talk to anyone, or if anyone approaches you and asks you what you're doing, be up front about your intentions. Especially if you want to buy the property, you don't want to start off on the wrong foot with people who might one day be your neighbors. You may have to talk to neighbors to figure out the street address, particularly if there are several houses in a row with no visible street numbers. You will need the address to search public records for the property owner's identity as well. This is an unobtrusive way to introduce yourself and make your intentions known. Send it through the mail, don't just leave it in the box or on the property. If the owners have moved elsewhere, it's possible they have the mail forwarded to a different address. If the property is truly abandoned, this isn't likely, but it's worth a shot. Include your name and a phone number on the post card, as well as the reasons you are contacting the owner. This survey system is most frequently used to parcel out subdivisions in suburban areas, or define property boundaries in a densely populated urban area.
Ask the nearest neighbor if they know the property owner. Scope out the neighborhood. Get the property address. Send a postcard to the property's address. Determine the plat or lot and block of the property.