6. Be reluctant. "well, I don't know..." Reluctance gets seller looking for ways to motivate you, and lets him feel like he's won something when you settle point.

7. Make offer their idea. "Are you saying you'd like a later closing, and more earnest money? Well let's do it your way, then. I just need..."

8. Get a yes before offer. "What if I paid your price, but got my terms? Would that work for you?" Even with a few changes, it will be hard for seller to say no to an offer he more or less already agreed to.

9. Flatter seller. Flattery has been proven to be worth an average of $1962 in real estate negotiations. That's a joke, by way, but you know if he likes you, you'll probably get a better deal.

10. Pass over problems, and return to them later. Agree on every agreeable point first. It will feel like house is sold then, and it will be difficult for a seller to lose deal over an issue or two that you need to go in your favor.

You can spend a lot of time looking for cheap houses. Why not spend a little time learning how to purchase every home for less, with some smart negotiation?

Interestingly, IRS has also added an exemption not included in AJCA. On its own, IRS has determined that taxpayers can claim a deduction for fair market value of a donated vehicle if charity gives or sells vehicle at a significantly below-market price to a needy individual, as long as transfer furthers charitable purpose of helping a poor person in need of a means of transportation.

If you intend to assert one of these exemptions, how do you determine fair market value? Generally, vehicle pricing guidelines and publications differentiate between trade-in, private-party, and dealer retail prices. The IRS consider fair market value for vehicle donation purposes to be no higher than private-party price.

The new provisions of Americans Job Creation Act certainly make it less attractive to donate a car to charity. Using exemptions, however, you can still create a sizeable deduction while helping others who are less fortunate.