Be prepared as a buyer to act quickly. In Bloomington-Normal homes are moving fast. Not only are they selling quickly. We are seeing great appreciation. In certain price ranges we see less than 2 months of inventory. With this sort of supply/ demand balance, being a prepared buyer is neccessary.  #1 Have a pre qualification to show the seller you are a serious buyer. When I receive an offer on one of my listings without a letter from a lender showing the buyer is qualified I don't much validity on it until I see the buyer can obtain financing. #2 Know what your looking for.  In the current Bloomington housing market you don't have extra "think about it" time. If you see what you want you need to act quickly. #3 Know the market. What are homes selling for in that area? Is this a deal? What is crime like in that neighborhood? How are the schools? These are all questions you should know before looking at the home. I always prepare a neighborhood market analysis not only to show you what the value should be but what the value could be with fix up.