An appraisal is almost always required when you buy a home. However, if you disagree with appraisal value, you can always order your own appraisal. You can find an appraiser through such organizations as National Association of Master Appraisers (NAMA). Appraisals generally cost between $250 and $500.

Negotiating a sale price usually starts with you making an initial offer on home. The initial offer is usually less than seller's listing price.The seller can accept, reject or ignore your initial offer. He can also make a counter-offer. A counter-offer is a concession to lower price to meet your offer at least part-way.

After first counter-offer, buyer and seller may go through a series of counter-offers to arrive at a sale price (if agreeing at all). This means spread, or gap, between listing price and initial offer gets narrower. Armed with your own appraisal and inspection report, you can make an informed offer and more effectively negotiate a final sale price.

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After school we would proceed home, noticing every bush and every spec of wildlife along way, enjoying each other's company and as we neared house we would start discussing which chores each one of us wanted to do that afternoon, of course garden was always there after we got through with all other chores and we would hoe in garden until dark. But as we were lined up across rows, joking and laughing while hoeing weeds, we never realized how wonderful these times were and how simplicity of our whole lifestyle and our ethics is what made us so happy. We were too poor to realize we was poor, but was too rich in what we had in each other as a family to even contemplate fact that we was poor.

It was really a treat when we were lucky enough to receive company and I remember one afternoon when Mr. Duke came to see us and sat down with my father on front porch. Mr. Duke was a tall man and very huskily built with a hint of stomach starting to show but his most predominant feature was on his face and that was his unusually cut beard and very predominant handlebar mustache. He also had a very predominant English accent, very articulate in his speech but heavily accented toward lower England. Naturally, when company came we tried to put our best foot forward and make our company feel right at home and Mr. Duke was no exception. The cider was drawn up from well and cake was brought out andcut into larger than usual portions

The nice thing about company, especially company that got around and visited people a lot, was that we were able to catch up on all news that we would not normally get. Plus you may hear about new inventions or some great new marvel that was just around corner. As usual Mr. Duke did not let us down, he told us several things about people around our area and what made his news so welcome was that he always gave positive news and tried his best to leave any negativity out if at all possible. He was a very kind and caring individual. He started speaking about a bicycle he had ordered from Germany and about how it had been damaged beyond comfortable repairability. I could see my father's interest, but that is another story, another dream and another memory.

Just as soon as Mr. Duke left, we started doing our homework and finished as soon as possible, for we had to wash ourselves and put our clothes out for next day. We put out one set for morning chores and another set for school. Then came calming part of day and that was when family said goodnight to each other before retiring. Then me and my brother would go upstairs and get into bed, say our silient prayers then look over and say "goodnight brother", to each other. By The Dragon Just an Old Man remembering kinder and gentlier times