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Most people look forward to a negotiation like they look forward to a root canal. Of course, there’s also that rare breed that relishes trading in their car just so they can spend a few hours beating up on the dealer. No matter which category you fall into, on thing is for sure: negotiations are a part of almost every real estate transaction. And how they’re handled goes a long way toward determining the success of a deal.

Here are five keys I followed in completing many successful negotiations:

1. Before a negotiation begins, try to find out the motivation of each party. It’s not always price. A flexible closing date could be just as important. This will help you formulate a strong offer going in.

2. Keep the negotiations away from an “us” versus “them” mentality. The goal is truly to create a win-win.
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Rising competition is forcing mortgage sellers to generate new products to win customers.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Following the subprime mortgage market collapse, new loans are down, and lenders are turning back to safer - less profitable - offerings. But with tougher competition and a shrinking market, they’re getting a little more creative.

In January, more than 60 percent of all mortgage loans were made to prime customers with FICO scores of 650 or more. Those customers most often go the traditional 30-year, fixed-rate route - a simple, unsexy product that offers lenders little room to differentiate or to squeeze more profits out of their loans.
That means there’s a smaller pie of less profitable loans to be divvied up, prompting lenders to come up with new ways to market their offerings.

“Everyone is trying to be a little creative,” said Bob Moulton, founder of Americana Mortgage Group.

Retail banker Washington Mutual, (Charts, Fortune 500) has weighed in with a flexible mortgage that allows borrowers to switch from a fixed rate to an ARM and back again - without refinancing - at little or no charge.

Bank of America, (Charts, Fortune 500) has been publicizing a no-fee mortgage that requires no application fees, lender fees, appraisal fees, origination fees or private mortgage insurance (PMI), even if the loan-to-value ratio is greater than 80 percent, the normal PMI cutoff point.
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Hotpads.com is back with a slightly different design. The site has not changed all that much and the interface is still a little too cartoony for my tastes. The icons, while visually interesting, consume way too much screen real estate on a map search and make the search experience a little clumsy in my opinion.
Here’s a full list of the new features from their press release:

* New HotPads Maps
* Microsoft Satellite Mapping Integration
* Neighborhood and City Demographic and Housing Stats with Wikipedia
* Articles
* Political Party Affiliation Mapping
* Demographic and Housing Heat Maps
* Points of Interest Mapping including Schools, Universities and Public
* Transportation
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1. Aim for pre-approval
Approach at least four to five lenders (or have your mortgage broker do so) to see what kind of loan you can get pre-approved for, Robbins suggested. Generally, you want to go with the lender that offers the best rate and the lowest loan costs.

2. Find a good buyer’s agent

What buyer’s agents do: When you go to an open house and meet a real estate agent showing the property, that agent represents the seller’s interests. So you might be better off using a buyer’s agent whose job is to represent your interests. In addition to showing you homes that meet your criteria, a buyer’s agent can help you negotiate a contract and may help you get a better deal on title insurance.
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How do you buy a new home without cracking your nest egg too deeply? Our expert has some advice.
NEW YORK (Money) — Question: My wife and I are currently renting, but we’d like to buy a house. Problem is, we happen to live in somewhat expensive area where single-family homes cost at least $300,000. Our combined income is low and we barely have enough savings for even a small down payment.

We’re thrifty, though, and we can now save about $1,000 per month. My question is whether we’re better off saving all that money for a down payment for a house in a couple of years or focus on putting money in our retirement accounts? We think we can carry a decent size monthly mortgage payment, but I’m afraid we won’t qualify for a loan because our income is too low. What should we do? - H.S., North Bend, Washington.
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According to specialists, here are ten homes for sale for every motivated, qualified buyer.

So what should your realtor do to make sure that your property is the one in ten that will sell this month? For start, they should do as much advertising as they can.

For our @properties we’re doing signs for each listing and custom signs for multi-unit developments, custom fliers and brochures, floor plans, virtual tours and advertising on websites such as Craigslist or Realtor.com.
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I wrote about this in the past, but here is an updated version containing some new things that I have experienced the past few months.
There are two ways to go about making home improvements. Either you splurge for something purely for the sybaritic pleasure of having it — the Italian marble bathroom you’ve dreamed about; that skylight that your spouse has been hinting at for the last six years — or you take a pragmatic approach, buying an energy-efficient furnace or repairing a leaky roof because you want to increase your home’s market value.
Exactly how much you’ll recoup in costs depends on several factors, including the direction of the broader housing market, the value of the homes in your neighborhood, when you plan to sell the home and the nature of the project itself.
Kitchens
Even a few basic improvements to your kitchen can pay handsome dividends, says real-estate agent Michael Murphy in his book “How to Sell Your Home in Good or Bad Times.” Murphy writes: “For most buyers, [the kitchen] is the heart of the house. Paint, wallpaper, and even refloor the room if necessary. Consider sanding, staining or painting dingy-looking cabinets. Replace old cabinet hardware — a low-cost improvement that makes a big difference in appearance.” Just be sure to go with a classic design and, if possible, use high quality materials, says Remodeling magazine’s Cory. After all, good taste endures.

The average amount spent on a major kitchen-remodeling job in the U.S. is $54,241 for a midrange update; an upscale designer makeover averaged $107,973, according to Remodeling magazine. The midrange kitchen overhaul nationally recouped 80% of its cost and 76% of the costs were recovered in an upscale makeover.
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