Proper process for foreclosures and pre-foreclosures

[Alfredo O.]

Good morning everyone. I have a question regarding buying a property that is currently in foreclosure or better yet a property that is in the pre-foreclosure status. I have been told in the past that if you find a property sometime she can buy them from the owners directly before they hit auction. Some of the properties that I am look at that today are already in auction status meeting a date has been set but not all properties are set up that way today. Can I buy a property directly from the owner prior to hitting auction or am I already behind the ball?