Can you wholesale a pre foreclosure?

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Hello. I am starting out in wholesaling and was looking around today and found maybe 100 homes on zillow under the pre foreclosure status in a neighborhood. Went looked at them all, wrote them down and noted if it was abandoned, absentee, winterized, trashed or occupied. Had a idea to maybe later send a letter to all of the homeowners, and track down the absentee ones and send them a letter asking if they would like to sell their home to me and so on. And i got to thinking, can i put a contract down on a pre foreclosure for the amount they owe to the banks and such, then wholesale it? Do i have to go to the owner or the bank? Or is this even possible to get the home under contract?!? Thanks