The Miami Herald has some tips for housing bargains. "He was a government attorney making a lateral move to a federal agency in another city. Like all buyers, he hoped to get the best possible deal for his family on the home he would purchase in the new area."

"On his first house-hunting tour, he made a happy discovery. The once overheated market in the new city had recently cooled, giving buyers more leverage. He sniffed opportunity, and so did his real estate agent, Tom Early. 'These days, we're finding a lot more flexibility on the sellers' side in more spots around the country,' says Early, president of The National Association of Exclusive Buyers Agents."

"After a brief search in their new city, the government attorney and his family found a house very much to their liking. After three rounds of bidding and counter-bidding, the purchasers picked up their prize home at $35,000 off the list price and at least $10,000 below what Early estimated to be its present market value."

"Here are several tips for home purchasers: Don't suffer guilt over opportunism. Although sellers still hold sway in some neighborhoods around the country, these are decreasing in number. An increasing number of properties are going up for sale, causing a shift in the supply-demand ratio. 'It's a simple matter of economics. When there are many more sellers than buyers, the pendulum swings toward the buyer,' says Sid Davis."

"Occasionally, would-be purchasers shopping in a buyers' market will feel guilty about pressing their newfound advantages when bargaining. But Davis says such feelings are groundless. Sellers are not accustomed to showing pity when they have the leverage, and he asks why buyers should behave differently when the roles are reversed."

"Consider waiting for stubborn sellers to drop their price. In a neighborhood where the market has recently shifted in favor of buyers, some sellers take a while to adjust to the new realities, Davis says. A price drop is often a signal that once-stubborn sellers are ready to bargain in earnest, maybe because they face a deadline of their own."

"A price drop may be just the beginning. When a seller drops the price, it may be a signal that he is facing a deadline and will negotiate still more."

"Never insult the owners of a house you'd like to buy. Sensing they have more power than before, Davis says, some prospective buyers take liberties that could easily backfire. One type of misstep involves any statement you might make about a property that wounds the sellers' pride in their home. Another involves making a ridiculously below-market bid, which so shocks the owners that they may refuse to deal further with you."