domain names. the domain owner has a 30 day grace period that starts when the expiration date arrives. during this time, the owner can re-register the domain name. if this happens, you clearly will not get the expired domain name.
after the grace period, there is another 60 day period. during this time, the owner can still renew, but for a premium. you are still waiting for the expired domain name to work its way through at this point, and you can keep tabs on how things are going. finally, around 90 days after the expiration date, a domain name is actually available. if no one else is waiting to grab 