When I bought my condo last year, I went to a series of three home buying and maintenence classes at a local non-profit housing organization. They cost about $10 each, and in return I got 1/2 point of my mortgage loan interest. (FHA.) I was dreading it, but will to go for that 1/2% -- turns out I had fun and learned a lot.

The classes covered how to buy a house, what to look for in a home, and how to schedule maintence and how much things cost. We even covered topics like types of roofs and hot water heaters, and I got to take home a neat notebook which had all sorts of checklists and things to remember.

You may have an organization who offers these kinds of classes in your area. The classes were taught by realtors and mortgage brokers who were volunteering their time (I met my third and last realtor there... he was a godsend).

Duplexes around here are always sold separately as well -- if you find a pair for sale together, you might want to beware: it was probably rental property. Not only are many renters less than careful with the property, but the owners are often less than perfect about maintenece. And the investor will probably be selling because he thinks he can't turn a profit anymore. Not a good sign for your future home value.