T4L – If you’ve never bought before or will only be doing this once…to get the house you want, save yourself the trouble and use an agent. There’s a lot of details and the business has a lot of opportunists in it. Lot’s of money changes hands in a RE transaction, so there’s a lot of hands out trying to get a little chunk as it goes by. It’s really infuriating, but that’s life. You’ll learn from the experience. Pay close attention and ask a lot of questions. Accept no charges without a complete explination that you find acceptable. Good luck.