Domains will go into RGP (Registry Grace Period) on the 45th day after expiration date. There is another 30 days in RGP for the former owner to restore the domain from the registry. If not restored, the domain will go into Pending Delete status and drop on the 5th day of PD. Registrars can delete or renew a domain any time after expiration.
www.SnapNames.com is the best place to place a back order on domains that are about to expire or expiring.
CamperJohn - Moniker does NOT register expired domains and taste them, we do not register our customer's domains but our customers do register domains as soon as they are deleted and they do use Whois Privacy which has our privacy information on the whois records.
Bari Meyerson can assist any of you with how to back order or register newly deleted domains using our API if you are interested.