In article 2, Doug Boulter
says...

I'm uncomfortable about you buying your first house without
professional advice. Perhaps you can find a buyer's agent who will
work for you for a set fee since you already have the house picked
out. If you're paying $5000 too much for the house, a $500 or
$1000 fee won't seem like much. If you lose your deposit, you may
lose a whole lot more than you'd spend for a professional.


On the other hand....

....I know someone who never took that plunge. Partly from fear that they'd not
do this house-buying thing exactly right, and might have a septic problem for
example (maybe 10K), or gosh forbid, pay too much (that 5K you're talking
about).

And has lost out over the past five years of the on-average 50-80% increase in
home sales prices over that time (well over 100K).

I took the plunge eleven years ago, new to town, in a very down market (largest
company in area had just laid off tens of thousands), and bought a house in a
great location, knowing about a possible septic problem (only needed new tank),
some possible water problems (3K for BDry). (All clay soil around here, damn
near every house I looked at had something..)

I've seen a 150% to possibly 200% increase in the value of the house and
property. (Yes, that's twice to three times as much.)

How this applies to the OP's situation depends on the particulars of course.

Banty