For those of you who have bought a house?

First off I'm not the type of person who falls in love with a home before he buys it. To me it's not smart as this is the biggest purchase of your life. Kind of how they say it's not smart to go to the grocery store when you're hungry-you'll spend more because you see more things that look good while you're hungry. That said, I've never been in a hugely contested bidding war. If I was I'd probably say 'screw it-let the vulchers have it since there are tons of other places for sale' and I want a bargain that just happens to have the things I want in it. There are lots of those IMO and with my attitude I'll still get all that I want but not spend through the nose. I do have a taste for homes that are in fairly high demand so I've found it's best to get my realtor to send me the MLSs as soon as places hit the market. It's the quickest way to learn what's new. If you're fast enough you'll beat the rush. I make a decent offer, require the seller answer quickly (usually withing 36-48 hours or I'll pull the offer) and that pressures the seller to either agree to sell it to me or tells me they still want to play the field and aren't really serious about someone taking the place off their hands immediately-which to some sellers is a huge bonus just to get the whole deal over with. Everyone has their own strategy. Some strategies work better than others depending on the situation. I know you may love the house you're bidding on but don't lose sight of the fact that there are many more options on the market for you. You don't have to chase your desires with extra money.