Posted by Carmen_FL on January 07, 2003 at 21:58:31:
Check the public records. They’ll have a record of both the original recorded mortgage, any assignments, and any lis pendens filed.
However, note that, until the day of the foreclosure auction (and sometimes for a period after, depending on your state), the owner still has complete control of the property since the deed is in his/her name. You may want to contact them, first, if you can. Otherwise, the bank will have to foreclose to get clear title, which means taking it through the foreclosure process (including auction) before they can make any “deals” with you.