Source: http://clarkhoward.com/shownotes/category/4/125/

• Find A Realtor To Buy or Sell Your Home
• Get a copy of your credit reports four to six months before you start home shopping and pre-quaify for a mortgage before you start looking.
• If you're buying a house strictly for financial reasons, look at each house you're considering as you would evaluate a purchase of stocks or bonds.
• Don't buy one of the first houses in a subdivision. The developer may go bust and be unable to complete the development.
• Make any offer on a home contingent on its passing an inspection. The purchase also should be contingent on your ability to get financing at or below a set interest rate.
• Get an owner's title insurance policy that covers you, not the lender, if your ownership is successfully challenged.
• Hire a real estate attorney to review the closing papers and, if you're buying a house still under construction, to draft or review the purchase contract.
• Before you buy a house, try your commute to work during rush hour.
• Learn about the area surrounding a potential purchase, including the potential for new roads or new development.
• Look at a property while it's raining to see how water flows across it. Look for signs of poor drainage and danger of flooding.
• Buy a house that's fundamentally sound in construction and materials, even if it doesn't have the latest, greatest design features.
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