More Home Buyers Seek Sleepover 'Test Drive'

By AMY HOAK
July 15, 2008; Page D7

In most markets, home buyers have the upper hand these days. That often means they have greater negotiating power when it comes to price or the ability to squeeze out extra perks from sellers.

But on occasion, they will ask a seller for even more, a request that will help get to know the home better. They will ask to sleep over.

As reality programs such as TLC's "Date My House" and HGTV's "Sleep On It" show buyers spending a considerable amount of time -- and sometimes an entire night -- in homes they are considering, some buyers in the real world are getting the chance to do the same.

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When will YOUR housing market recover?

By Marcie Geffner • Bankrate.com

Pundits love to make predictions as to when home prices will stabilize in U.S. housing markets. But even well-respected forecasters and analysts may disagree, and even if a forecast proves true nationally, your local market may behave in a wildly different way. This disconnect between broad-stroke forecasts and small-scale local markets presents quite a puzzle for homebuyers and home sellers, who need to make major financial decisions on the basis of facts, not fiction.

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