Research: Abandoned or Nuisance Properties

My characters are going to an abandoned housing development. Legally, these are called "nuisance properties." After living for more than 30 years in heavily populated Orange County, CA, I find the concept of empty houses fascinating. There's a John Green book (maybe Paper Towns?) where his characters go to such a place. I would love to, but the closest I could find was six hours away. Do any of you have any experiences with abandoned planned communities or "nuisance properties?"