Give a list of wants and needs to your agent. They will be able to help you find more of what you are looking for with more details you provide. Sometimes what you DON'T want is just as important, so list those also!

Get a list of the properties that meet your needs, drive by the homes to check out the neighborhood and see the outside of the house.

Let your agent know which homes you would like to see inside and have your agent set up appointments with those sellers.

Find the home you want and then be ready to have your agent offer a bid quickly. Houserebate.com agents will talk to you about making an intelligent offer by going over the "comparatives" for other homes sold in the same neighborhood recently. We look at final sales prices, what extras those homes had, the price per square foot, and how long other homes were on the market before being sold.

Don't forget that it is normal for sellers to make counter-offers. And try to be flexible. Getting the house you want is one of the biggest investments you may make in your life. Don't jeopardize losing the house you want over small differences you may have with the seller on repairs or closing costs.

It's prudent to have a professional home inspection done once your offer is accepted. That's when you find out about the base structure of the house, the roof condition, and all of the systems such as heating and air conditioning, electrical, hot water, and alarms.

This is also the time you'll need to decide which services you want the seller to include and who you want to provide those services - such as title companies, termite inspection, home service contracts etc…Many service providers have partnered with houserebate.com in order to bring you instant access to the companies you need for every step of the home buying/selling process. (Mortgage companies, title companies, moving companies, inspection companies, home warranty companies, and insurance companies have all partnered with houserebate.com to make life easier for you, and to continue the savings offered by working through the Internet.

There are several things you should do before closing. The first is let us know if you want your rebate money in the form of a check, or whether you would like to subtract that amount from the financed total, or use the money towards closing costs. The last thing to do before closing is a walk through your new home to be sure that everything you are paying for is there!

Closing can be a bit daunting for some people, so rely on your agent to help explain all of the details associated with signing.