Here's a whopper of a mistake you could make when buying a home. Suppose you are driving in a neighborhood and you see a house for sale. You stop, you look at the place and it looks really good. Maybe its just something that you would like to have. So you write down the name of the real estate agent listed on the sign in the front yard.

When you return home you call the agent and have a conservation about the house. He tells you what the house is selling for, some details about the property and asks if you would like to tour it. He also asks what you are wiling to spend in the way of a house. You tell him you can pay such and such but absolutely can't go above so and so.

At this point you're hosed. Done. Stick a fork in you, 'cause you are cooked. You've broken one of the basic rules of buying a house. You've forgotten that the listing agent for a house works for the seller. He or she doesn't work for you. The listing agent's job is to get the maximum amount possible for the seller. Your interest is in buying that house for the least amount possible, not the most.

Never forget this cardinal rule. When buying a house do not talk to the listing agent. The listing agent works for the seller, not for you. Get your own real estate agent. That agent works for you. That agent will have as his or her mission to get you the lowest possible price.