How distress shows up in New York
In New York, foreclosure goes through the courts. The lender files a foreclosure lawsuit in the county court, the court enters a judgment, and the property is sold at a public auction run by the clerk or the sheriff. Each step is a public record, so an owner's situation shows up months before a sale, while there is still time to sell on their own terms.
New York City's property, sales and city records come from NYC Open Data, which the city's Open Data Law requires to be published without registration, license or use restrictions (NYC Admin. Code §23-502).
Contacting owners in New York
Contact owners respectfully. Mail first. New York's Do Not Call law (Gen. Bus. Law §399-z) covers calls and texts about real estate. Check the Do Not Call lists, call only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m., and give your name, the purpose of the call and a way to opt out within 30 seconds. Telemarketers must register with the Department of State (§399-pp). Part of Brooklyn is a cease-and-desist zone until July 1, 2028; owners there who are on the Department of State's list may not be solicited by people regularly engaged in buying and selling real estate (Real Property Law §442-h).
No leaseback or "save your home" offers to owners in foreclosure. In New York, a home with a foreclosure filing (notice of pendency) or on a tax or water lien sale list is a "residence in foreclosure" (Real Property Law §265-a). Buying it from the owner needs the written contract the law prescribes, the owner can cancel within 14 business days and can undo a non-compliant sale for 2 years, and violations can be crimes.