How can you purchase a domain name before it actually goes for sale?

ie: There's a domain name that is going to expire this year that I would like to purchase. Is there any way for me to make an advance purchase of the domain so that the moment the former owner loses control of the domain, I gain it?

I would rather wait for the domain to expire than have to purchase it from the owner. I'm likely going to park it for a little while anyway, so it's not urgent, but I do want to acquire it.

Thanks!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_name_registrar

Best to check the Wiki on it, you'll get comprehensive info there.

Also bare in mind that even though there is an expiry date there is a high likelyhood the current owner will renew the domain name. Once the name expires it goes into a redemption period where the owner can still renew it and once that time passes quite often the domain may be backordered. If you really want the domain it is best to contact the owner rather than waiting and hopping that it drops and you are the successful registrant once the registration period is open again.

Check the whois for the domain again and see which registrar it's registered with.Then go to the name's registrar and see if they offer a backorder service - for instance,if the domain's registered with Godaddy then use their backorder/name monitor service there.

If the registrar itself does not have a backordering service then try snapnames.com,namejet.com,pool.com or other domain catching services and put in a backorder.A word of warning though,if your desired name is in any way a sought-after name,the professionals will grab it before you do or it'll be put into a domainer bidding auction.

Best of luck!

Don’t trust any cheap service, many of them don’t allow you to have full control on your domain name. If you’re going to buy domain names, http://www.goldpuma.com is the lowest cost service which is full-featured and really works for you ($9.99 /year). They offer free extras with every domain name:

Quick Blogcast

Hosting with Web site builder

Personalized Email Account

Starter Web Page For Sale/ Parked Page

Domain Forwarding

Domain Masking

100-Pack Email Forwarding

Total DNS Control

Change of Registration

Status Alerts

Domain Locking

…

Stop buying domains, because that means your clogging the tubes.