After Courthouse Auction And No Sale??
If a property goes to foreclosure auction on the courthouse steps, and no one bids higher than the banks opening bid, is it feasible for me to then find out who the bank is, get in contact with their loss mit. dept. and make an offer to them directly? Before it gets turned over to a local agent? I'm trying to learn about this type of foreclosure process, we've always bought HUD and REO's thru an agent, but in this neck of the woods the prices are getting ridiculous. Especially if we are trying to buy, fix and flip, which we want to do on the next few houses we buy. Thanks for any responses. 
In my experience No. I always wait until it gets on www.foreclosure.com and then bid. All the properties that were not outbidded by the bank at auction I got cheaper on that website. But everyone will see it differently
Lori
[addsig]
Thanks Lori. It seems everything I'm seeing on www.foreclosure.com, at least in my area, is old news I already know about. Stuff that I even know has been taken off the market days ago is still showing. I was just looking for a way to beat the rush, so to speak.
It is worth chasing. Not all banks do the same and not all are banks. Some deal with the same realtor and some have web sites they sell from. Some are next to impossible to contact and never call back. You may want to ask for REO dept instead of loss mitigation.
Good LUCK and Thank You
Hope this helps some
Ted Jr
Here in Alabama it is a representative of the lender who conducts the auction on the courthouse steps. Ask the person who they are representing. This may give you an advantage over other investors. I have always preferred to get to the homeowner before foreclosure. Just my 2 cents.