When buying any piece of real estate it should be your number one goal to get the property for as cheap as possible. On the other side, the seller is trying to receive as much money as they can. This is where all the negotiations start.

Simply put, you either get a good deal or you don?t ? this all starts with the buying price. To get the best deal you must do your homework. How much is the home worth compared to what others in the area have sold for? Do you know how long the property has been on the market, and whether or not any price reductions have taken place? The more questions you ask the more information you will find.

If you want to get the best possible deal, hire a real estate agent to work on your behalf. When buying a home with the help of an agent you do not pay a dime ? they get their money from the seller?s agent. What you get is professional assistance that can help you receive the best possible deal.

The deal you get is the deal you get; there is no going back. For this reason, make sure you are 100 percent sure of what you are doing. The final price is an important one!

If you?re thinking about buying property, whether a primary residence, vacation property, or a multifamily investment you may be debating the pros and cons of hiring a realtor. You definitely do not need a realtor to complete a property sales transaction but you may find one beneficial for the following reasons.

Experience

Good real estate agents have years of experience and have run across more situations than you have and will instantly either know how to handle the situation or be able to find the right references to explain things in detail.

Local Knowledge

Not only do realtors know about the local market’s prices but they know which neighborhoods are good and which are having issues, they know what features are popular locally and of high interest to buyers and what features are considered a deficit.

Price Information

Your realtor will not set your price or your offer for your but they do know a lot about the area and what home values are and a good real estate agent will be able to guide you in setting fair prices.

Networks

Real estate professionals tend to network with each other frequently so your agent will know about the entire market, not just homes their company handles. They’ll also know where to find contractors who are experienced and have a good reputation.

Paperwork

Buying a home, especially the closing, is a paperwork laden procedure that leaves many people feeling overwhelmed. Real estate agents routinely handle the paperwork and will be able to translate and guide you through the entire process.

Basically a professional real estate agent can be a great benefit to those thinking about purchasing property, especially first time home buyers, because their experience and knowledge will lighten your stress load and make the entire process go more smoothly.

If you?re in the market for a new home you probably already know that the world has changed and most buyers no longer rely on their friendly neighborhood realtor to find them a home that fits their lifestyle and financial situation. Most people are becoming proactive and doing a lot of research on their own. In response a lot of websites are cropping up that offer real estate tools designed to help you or to sucker you out of money. So being a wise consumer is ever important. The follow three websites are reliable and packed with information.

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Zillow.com

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Zillow.com is a great website if you?re using your computer but it?s amazing if you have an iPhone as they?ve just added a free app that gives you everything you want to know on the homes you?re driving by, even the ones that aren?t for sale. The GPS driven application knows where you are and gives you the basics of for sale homes and then homes in the area so you can compare the price against relatively similar houses.

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Trulia.com

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With Trulia.com you can search for sales. They let users scan the prices homes were originally listed at, what their current price is and how many times the prices dropped, by how much, and the dates of the reductions. This lets you get a feel for how desperate the seller is and if they?re coming close to a price you can afford.

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YouTube.com

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Most people are somewhat familiar with YouTube.com and home sellers are using the site to their advantage. Why not give potential buyers a link to a virtual tour of your home that you can do yourself for very little time and financial expense. And if you?re looking for a home a video tour is much more effective as it gives you a better perspective on space and size. But note to the wise ? if the audio track is more soundtrack than informative, turn it off, it can affect your feelings about a home.

With this belt tightening economy people are changing the way they?re decorating and building new homes in 2009. One trend is that the economy is taking a toll and homes are smaller and more practical and people are looking at the important things in their homes because they?re spending more time at home.

The average home size had been 2,300 square feet and that is dropping pretty dramatically, by at least 100 square feet. In fact some of the McMansions built in the last decade may not be as desirable to buyers as older, smaller homes.

You?ll also see a lot less luxury around the house, both inside and out. People are no longer concerned with having the high-end everything and are looking for low maintenance, environmentally friendly features to add to their home.

With the cut backs in luxuries the new trend in uber chic is less is more. Look for design trends and home d?cor to pare down and become sleek with a focus on simple lines and multiple functions.
And because people are spending more time at home and focusing on entertaining the family together you?ll see televisions, game systems and living rooms on the rise. These areas will be where more money will be spent and the little luxuries may creep into the fray.

photo credit: Jeremy Levine Design