Question about email agreements.

[discobull]

Twice this week I offered to purchase domains directly from two different owners. We came to terms on price, they each sent me an email saying we had a deal and then inexplicably vanished and stopped responding to emails or calls. I remember reading that emails can be considered contracts, but I wasn't sure what the available remedies are for these sorts of disputes. Is it possible to force the owners to hand over the domains at the agreed upon price? If so, would that be an issue for the courts or does that get resolved through icann? Also, what happens if the owner sells the domain to a third party in the interim? Thanks in advance for any help.