You can also find a realtor who is a "buyers representative", who will take your side in this, it won't cost you extra, and it will be a great help.

Next thing, you seem to be looking for a duplex--different places have different types of houses--are there a lot of houses like this available in the area where you are looking? If not, reconsider what you are looking for. In many older urban areas(Philadelphia, for instance), each side of the duplex is dealt with as if it were a separate home, and each side is offered for sale separately, which means you may need yet another plan B--

Nother important consideration--what is the inventory like in your area? Though there is talk about "recession", housing sales are still hot in a lot of places, which means that prices are higher, less negotiable, and the good houses get snapped up fast--There are houses that available, but they are houses that have serious problems.

Beware of fixer-uppers! Kitchen and bathroom remodelling, new heating systems, and water supply upgrades are expensive and time consuming--before you decide to deal with any of this, rent "Mr. Blandings Builds his Dreamhouse"--

You have to find out about things like crime rates, neighborhood demographics, and whether values are rising or falling in the area on your own--the realtors are prevented by law from telling you--You should do this, because if these factors are wrong, it can be more trouble than all the blown up water heaters and cracked drain tiles that you will ever run across.

Last bit of advice--in order to make a good choice, you have to learn a lot, not just about houses, but about what you really need in a house--This applies to first time house buyers only--after you've bought a house and lived in it, you know what you need and what want, what you can afford, and why you didn't get it the first time.