Jeff,
You maybe talking to the wrong person. Go to the homeowner or their agent if it is listed, not the bank. If the homeowner doesn't redeem the property during the redemtion period then the bank takes title and will be able to sell it to you.
Michael Doyle Realtor

Your question is a little confusing, if the bank is selling it then they have ownership of it and its not in the redemption period. If its still in redemption period the the homeowner still has the say in what they will or will not sell the property for and you would not be making an offer to the bank. Maybe its a short sale where they owner owes more than the property is worth and you made an offer to the bank that way to allow the seller to sell for less than they owe and the bank declined that offer.

When a home is in the redemption period you cannot acquire the property. The homeowner still has legal occupancy and has until the end of the redemption period to "redeem" the home, or basically to pay off the lien holder(s) and keep the home. Consequently the bank cannot sell something they do not yet control.