Then, you went to an open house last Sunday and met an agent you really "clicked" with. You decide to work exclusively with her, and begin developing a partnership. She finds out what it is you're looking for, shows you a few houses and WHAM! There it is! Nestled in a "Father Knows Best" neighborhood, you find the house of your dreams! So where do you go from here?

A good real estate agent will help you get your ducks in a row. First, by the time you begin an active search for a home, you should already have gotten pre-approved by a lender. In any market, competitive or not, this shows your ability to stand behind the offer you've made, and gives your offer more clout. Your agent will have all the required contracts/forms you need to sign in order to present an offer to a Seller. Remember, a contract is not a contract until it has been accepted by all parties! Up until then, it's only an offer!

One thing to remember when putting an offer on a home is that you need to have your agent run "comps" (market comparables) on the home to ensure the asking price jibes with like properties that have sold in the same market. Lenders are going to hire appraisers to look at these numbers when determining what your home is worth in order to furnish