Strategies for legwork before tax sale

[Amanda G.]

Georgia is a tax lien sale state. I have downloaded the list of properties up for tax lien sale next month and I've identified properties that interest me either for my own portfolio and/or because I think they stand a good chance of being paid by the current owner (mostly both).
Two properties that are in my preferred farm area are owned by a defunct LLC. They are both worth about 80k and owe 2-3k in taxes. A little internet research has gotten me the phone number of the likely owner. Tax sales remove all other liens, but right now they could be mortgaged to the max. How would you proceed? Wait until the sale or try and cut a deal with the owner ahead of time? I'm looking for strategies and reasonable offers to make.