| With housing prices going up as much as 10 percent | | | | five or 10 offers each week. Make sure you write "To |
| per year in some areas, the longer you wait, the | | | | be deposited only upon acceptance of this offer" on |
| farther that perfect house can move out of your | | | | your earnest deposit check. |
| reach. | | | | 3. Expect most of your offers to be rejected. You'll |
| Along with the hike in house prices, interest rates are | | | | know you are on the right path when your real estate |
| starting to creep up as well. This is even more of an | | | | agent complains that your offers are too low. |
| incentive to buy a house now, rather than later. | | | | 4. Wait for a great deal. If a seller accepts your offer, |
| How can you get a big house for a small-house price? | | | | or counters with an offer at 80 percent or less of the |
| The following tips will reveal the secrets to getting a | | | | home's value, you've probably found a great deal. You |
| great deal on your dream house. | | | | will be able to live in a bigger house than other buyers |
| 1. Get to know house values. Before you get started, | | | | whodidn't take the extra time to find a seller willing to |
| look at the areas in which you want to purchase a | | | | sell for less. |
| house. Monitor the prices of houses in that area until | | | | This strategy will test the patience of both you and |
| you are fairly comfortable with those values. Your goal | | | | your real estate agent. You will be tempted to think |
| is to know the value of homes so well that a great | | | | that no one will ever accept one of your low offers. |
| deal will be obvious to you. | | | | However, when a good offer finally comes along, the |
| 2. Make low offers. Start by making offers that are as | | | | extra space you get to enjoy in your new house will |
| low as 65 percent to 70 percent of the asking price. | | | | make it all worthwhile. |
| Rather than making only one offer at a time, make | | | | |