That's why most buyers and sellers work with real estate agents to list their homes and find buyers, or help them find homes that meet their needs.

For everyone involved, the bottom line in real estate is money.

Buyers want the most house for the money, while sellers, of course, want the most money for the house. In the middle are the people who make money off the deal through commissions. Sellers' agents get a commission for listing a house for sale, buyers' agents get a commission for bringing a buyer to the table.

Independent Home Inspectors

Since real estate agents don't get paid until a house is sold, the last thing they want it what's called a "deal killer"- financing falling through, a wishy-washy buyer or seller, or in some cases, a home inspector who's just a little too good with that inspection.

That's why many agents steer clients to inspectors they know are honest but easy, or "deal friendly."

Since many home buyers don't come prepared with a home inspector they want to work with, it's customary for agents to provide a list of several qualified home inspectors from which the client can choose.

While all agents want their clients to know what they're getting, some are more likely to refer home inspectors who they know will not "kill the deal" with extensive lists of problems that might scare away a potential buyer.

"I've heard that it happens, " said Seattle real estate agent Gini Johnson.

Johnson adds however, that since most serious agents rely on repeat business and good relationships with their buyers, an agent who steers clients to "easy" home inspectors risks unhappy clients and lost business.

"It's not a wise thing to do," said Johnson, "and it's not going to be the agent that continues to work."

Johnson's advice? If you're buying a home and don't know of a good home inspector, consider your agent's referrals as just one tool available. Talk to friends. Get the best inspector you can find.

Nationally recognized real estate expert Barbara Corcoran even goes as far as to say don't use your realtor's home inspector. She addressed the issue in a recent interview on ABC's Good Morning America saying the agent's referral, while honest and well intended, is also done with the goal of bringing a buyer and seller together to close a sale.

We asked Gini Johnson if she thought it was fair to say, "Don't use the inspector that's referred to you by your realtor?"

"Sure." she replied. "That's fine. That would not offend me at all as an agent."

Negotiable Commissions

Something else your agent may not tell you -- and this is a very sensitive topic lately -- is when you're selling your house, the agents' commissions are negotiable. The commission is paid by the home seller and spelled out in the listing agreement.

The commission, typically 6 to 7 percent, is split between the listing agent and the buyer's agent. Until recently, an even 3 percent split has been the norm.

But Bill McCabe listed his house with a 4 percent commission instead of the traditional 6 percent.

His listing agent (who requested we not disclose his name) agreed to drop his commission by 1.5 percent and Bill dropped the selling agent's commission by 0.5 percent to 2.5 percent. That's $10,000 Bill gets to keep.

Thanks to a glut of agents, and discount listing sites on the Internet, broker John Hama says agents are taking cuts even if they don't like to talk about it.

"In times when the seller is also purchasing a property as well as selling a property, where there's 2 transactions or more together in basically one program, the commission is negotiable," said Hama.

Other agents acknowledge that fierce competition in the marketplace has more agents willing to cut their commission in order to get a listing -- although some agents tell of pressure from brokers to resist the lower commission trends.

Hama and others are quick to point out that you get what you pay for. Lowering the commission may lower the amount of service you get. Agents also point to the out of pocket costs they incur in advertising and marketing a home, and attending to the many details of making a sale go through.

Commissions are how agents make their living, which is why your agent or broker may not volunteer to negotiate.

And be warned, buyer's agents may retaliate by not bringing potential buyers.

"Because I've had agents say to me, 'if you don't offer the full amount, we won't show your house,' " said Bill McCabe.

Other agents confirm that seeing a reduced commission on the agent's listing notes, can prompt some agents not to show a particular home.

Computer Staging

Another big trend is staging -- presenting the home so the potential buyer can imagine themselves actually living there.

Since the majority of buyers are shopping on the Internet now, the latest marketing strategy uses computers to make homes look more appealing and attract potential buyers.

It's something you'll be seeing more and more online. An otherwise empty room will be enhanced with furniture and pictures.

A less than desirable view outside a window might be covered with curtains or some other window treatment. As long as the edited picture doesn't lie about what the buyer will actually get, it's legal.

Creative Descriptions

A final tip for house hunters, don't get swept away by creative writing.

After months of searching, Erica McKelvey knows a lot of those clever descriptions are also codes.

"Cute, adorable, charming, we see that a lot", said Erica.

Words like cute and cozy usually mean small.

"Lots of potential" means lots of work, elbow grease -- not something you want if you're looking for move-in ready.

"Sweat equity, you know you're gonna have to work on this one," added Erica.

With a "bustling, energetic" neighborhood, count on traffic, and probably noise.

So whether you're buying or selling, do your homework. Check online to learn about neighborhoods and recent sales activity from Websites like zillow.com.

Shop around ahead of time for a good independent home inspector.

And don't be afraid to negotiate commissions.

Remember the bottom line in real estate -- for everyone -- is money.

"It's all about money," said homeowner Bill McCabe. "And it's all about money for me too."

For More Information:

www.bls.gov

www.smartmoney.com

www.wsba.org

www.npr.org

www.realtor.org

realytimes.com

money.cnn.com

www.ftc.gov

www.independentinspectors.org