I would be very careful buying right now, the market is not going to recover for a while (outside of perhaps a false bottom, and then further sustained softness). We tend to be 18 months-24 months behind the States and they were at this same point in the market that long ago and bullish types STILL kept saying to buy-buy-buy - and we all know what is happening down there since then. It largely depends on how much you are currently spending on living arrangements though....
I would also be VERY selective in picking your realtor:
1) They do not get paid by you yes, but they do get paid by the seller AND it is based on what they sell the home for! This creates a conflict of interest (the more you pay the more YOUR realtor makes). So most will say "oh i would never worry about a couple dollars if it meant my client paid more" but i only trust a friend to mean it...
2) Most realtors own property, often being some of the biggest speculators in the market. So they will oftne have a further conflict of interest when you insist you should bid lower than they want you to. If the property you are interested in is listed $40,000 too high then that means all of the realtors listings are also too highly priced AND they themselves may be looking at major losses on their own property. You need to again be forceful about where you believe the market is at and recognize why they have a resistance to it.
Claeren.
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