Classifieds VS Realtor: Whats the best way to find a home?
brk: Use a realtor.  They can go through listings for you to find what you are looking for.  Make sure you get a buyers agent to represent you (it generally costs nothing or maybe 1%, depending on how the deal is structured with the listing agent).The other benefit is when it comes time to negotiate.  A good buyers agent can help guide you (but recognize that in the end you're on your own).  The other big benefit is that they are a proxy for you.  You won't talk directly with the sellers or sellers agent when negotiating.  This has the benefit of them not knowing how excited you are about a particular property, and prevents them from getting a good "feel" for exactly what you can afford.Also, just as an FYI, if you look at foreclosure properties (which are tempting in this market) be aware of all the fine print.  These generally take a longer period of time to close and are much riskier overall.  If I were buying another property in this market (I'm 1/2 looking)...  Find a good buyers agent, get pre-qualified, know your limits and tell the buyers agent that if they happen to "hear" (all realtors in a market talk to each other) of a listing where the sellers are on the verge of foreclosure and would take a quick deal at a big discount that you would be interested...