How to buy a expiring domain name?

I want to buy a domain name which is due to expire in the next few days...whats the route i have to follow to buy it? do i have to wait untill it expires and re-listed onto the market? or do i have to email the current owner. The domain name i want to buy has been owned by previous owner for the past 5 years and never bothered putting a website up...i dont think he wants it anymore...and dont want to conact him incase he renews it and ask me for a crazy amount of money to buy it of him..please help.

In order for you to buy a domain name it must not be registered to an owner. If the domain expires you can buy it, but this case sounds like a cyber-squatter. Some individuals buy domains with no intention of actually putting up a website. Instead they try to sell the domain for a profit.

I would wait and see if he forgets it and it expires in which case you can take it over at a minimal cost. Failing that you can try to negotiate a purchase if he should renew his ownership of the domain. If it really means that much to you, and he renews it asking for a hefty price you can't or aren't willing to pay there is always legal action. There have been several high profile and not so high profile cases of person and corporations suing cyber-squatters for domains they have not launched.

wait untill it expires than try to register it via yahoo, or www.register.com, and if he will renew than you have time to negotiate with him, but keep in mind some people keep domain names just to make money if sombody gets intrested

you have to wait till it expires