I'm in the market for a new home and I've been taking my time, scoping out desired neighborhoods, determining the style of home I like and the preferred neighborhood amenities. Often times when a potential comes on the market, I look at neighborhood activity over the last few years.

There has been many a time when I see a home list and close for the same price with no seller subsidy or other documentable "incentive". Granted, I understand the the MLS is not an all inclusive system; I do still find this trend to be a turn-off and downright disgusting.

Essentially this means, and this is a generalization, that buyers agent didn't negotiate on the buyers behalf. Granted there are often agency and other buyer representation factors but it's very disturbing to see this. Part of a buyer's agent's function is to negotiate on behalf of the client.

For home buyers, when you're ready to submit an offer on a home, ask your agent to see comparable homes that are or have recently been on the market. Use this information to make an informed offer, don't simply offer the full price because the seller is asking for it. A seller's asking price is simply that; an asking price, what the seller hopes to gross from the sale.