Official Carleton H. Sheets^® Website

we have someone in preforclure...but we are not sure what to do _base_d on lack of experience in this catagory. To make an offer do we offer the owner to pay the back taxes and outstanding mortgage payments. Do we go to the county tax department pay the balance to the county? or do we contact the mortgage company directly with the current owners permission.
We would like to purchase it and then rent it back to the previous owner

You must do your due diligence before making any offer.
1) What is the property worth in the current market?
2) What is the amount of liens on the property (first mortgage, second mortgage, etc.)?
3) Are the taxes current? If not, how much in arrears are they?
4) Are there any other judgments on the property that need to be paid or otherwise cleared up in order to gain clear _title_?
5) Are there any mandatory repairs that need to be made to make the property acceptable as a rental property in your city/town (in some areas, the property needs to pass an inspection before you can rent it)?
Are you trying to do a short sale?
After you gather all of the information, you must make a decision whether the property is worth it. And, be very careful about purchasing a property and leasing it back to the owner. I am speaking from personal experience: sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
If you decide the property is worth it, write up the contract and submit it to the owner. If the property is a short sale, the owner will have to get an approval from the lenders to sell it for less than the amount due on the mortgage. There is usually some paperwork involved in a short sale, which the owner can complete, or you can help with (if he/she gives you authorization). I suggest you read-up on short sales (you can find the information in Carleton's free Cashing in on Foreclosures program on this website).
The information I'm giving you here is not complete... just some guidelines to get you pointed in the right direction.
Keep us posted on your progress!