Just like in any other profession, there are good real estate agents ... and there are, unfortunately, subpar real estate agents, too. But how do you know if you've got a dreamboat or a dud handling your real estate transaction? One way to know whether you've got a good agent (or not) is to consider some of the tasks and activities that a really good agent will manage for a client, then apply what you've learned to your own agent. If you don't have time to track down all of the things that a good agent should be doing for a buyer or a seller, then you're in luck: We've compiled a list so you don't have to. Ask you about your homeownership needs (and hopes) It's dangerous to make assumptions at the best of times, but when it comes to shopping for a home, assumptions are downright dangerous. So if you have an agent who assumes ... everything ... be wary.

Buying a home is always an anxiety-ridden process, and that goes triple for anyone who’s embarking on homeownership for the very first time. There’s so much to do and so much you don’t know that “overwhelming” hardly seems like an appropriate description of how it feels. Even though you don’t want to scare yourself away from the entire process, you still need to be wary of falling into a few common traps that first-time buyers generally don’t avoid. If you’re aware of these five potential mistakes -- and able to keep yourself from making them -- then you’ll be saving yourself some significant stress on your homebuying journey. 1. Not understanding your down payment options The biggest headache for so many first-time buyers is the down payment. If you’ve ever bought a car, then you’re probably familiar with the concept -- it’s money that you contribute to the total cost of the purchase.  A down payment of just a couple thousand dollars can get you a head start on your car. If you don’t have a certain amount to put down on your home loan, however, you might find yourself paying private mortgage insurance (PMI) on the lifetime of the loan. Depending on your credit score, the bank and other factors, PMI could cost between 0.5 percent to 1 percent of the total loan amount. Most banks require at least a 20 percent down payment before they will waive the need for PMI on the loan. And most homes in this area cost about $300,000, so that means a buyer would need to bring $60,000 to the table in order to avoid PMI. Some government organizations and lenders try to incentivize first-time homeownership by offering free down payment grants or loans to qualified buyers. Depending on your age, income level, credit score and other factors, you could qualify for free money to wrap into your down payment; a full rundown of programs is available at downpaymentresource.com.

Not too long ago in our country's history, talking about making your house "greener" might get you labeled a hippie tree-hugger. But times change, and as gas, electricity, and water prices creep up, more and more homeowners are seeing the (strong) advantages that come with considering the environment when you make decisions about your household. Are you interested in making your home more energy-efficient -- and saving money in the bargain? You have a lot of options, from cheap to expensive, so read on to discover whether there are some big (or small) energy-saving opportunities that you're missing. 1. Get an energy audit  Most utility companies offer an energy audit, oftentimes for free:

Selling your house can be an intensely emotional experience in any market, but it's particularly nerve-wracking when it seems like other homes are going under contract in a matter of days while your listing lingers. In that situation, sellers can't help but wonder if there might be something wrong with their place. Well, the unfortunate truth is that maybe there is something wrong. Usually, it's the listing price, but there are a ton of other things that are keeping your house on the market -- maybe it's the marketing strategy, or even the house itself. If your house just won't seem to move in a market that's otherwise red-hot, consider whether one of these factors could be stalling a sale. The pictures are amateur It's hard to under-emphasize the importance of listing photos. Most buyers start their home search online, and your listing photos are therefore the first impression that buyers will get of the property.  When all the other homes for sale in your neighborhood have crisp, clean images that show the home to its best advantage, and your listing photos are off-center, unfocused and scream "I took all of these pictures in 10 minutes with my cell phone," then don't be surprised when buyers aren't all that interested in your place. Make sure that you're selecting only the photos that make your house shine, and if there aren't any, then you might need to reshoot. Talk to your agent and the listing photographer about shooting at a time of day when there's a lot of natural light and when the home is in pristine condition.

When you're selling your house, it can be tempting to hope that buyers will see past the surface to the beautiful bone structure of your abode and realize what a lovely life they could make in it. But the truth is that most homes could use a little bit of a facelift before you invite people to walk through and hope they'll make an offer on it. So what do you need to do, exactly, to get your house into perfect shape, and keep it that way throughout all the showings and events? Here's a rundown of the steps you can take to make and keep your house not only picture-perfect -- but open-house perfect. Getting started There are a few steps you'll want to take throughout your house in order to get it ready for deep cleaning and make it presentable for showing. Start by walking through each room and asking yourself what items you haven't used lately or that you can do without for a while. Minimizing the stuff in your house will make it much easier to keep everything clean throughout the selling process. Don't forget about the furniture! Removing furniture from a room can make it look more spacious. If you don't want to get rid of anything, rent a storage unit where you can stash your larger items until you're finished showing your house. When you've removed one-third to half the furniture in your house, rearrange what's left to create inviting pathways through each room. Visitors should be able to walk around everything without bumping into anything else. You'll want to pack up and stash any books, clothes, appliances, equipment, or other things that you don't need or want immediately (or, realistically, for the next couple of months). It's fine to keep a few back -- nobody lives in a completely empty house -- but remember that less is more and do your best to streamline to less.

When you’re selling a luxury property, the usual rules about how to market a home tend to go out the window.  For starters, not all sellers want the universe to know that their home is going on the market, so you might not have the option of advertising the home on a real estate portal or even listing it on the multiple listing service (MLS). And depending on whether or not the seller (or the home) is noteworthy locally or nationally, there could also be quite a few “interested buyers” who don’t have the means to purchase a home but who still want to come inside and look around. But that doesn’t mean that marketing a luxury home is impossible — far from it! There are specific tactics and strategies that wouldn’t make sense for another type of property but that are perfect for luxury homes, and you can use some or all of them to secure a qualified buyer without compromising privacy.

So you’re finally a homeowner – congratulations! This is an important step in anyone’s life, and it’s absolutely normal to feel somewhat (or wildly) unprepared for the realities of owning a place of your own. What if there’s an emergency, or what if something breaks? Do you know what to do? Here’s the good news: Like so many things in life, it’s not what you know; it’s who you know. Some homeowners take years to get all of these names and numbers in their mental address books or their smartphones, but if you start trying to find these essential people in your homeowners’ network early, then you’ll have an easier time handling any problems. 1. An insurance agent If you have a mortgage loan on your home, then you’re going to need homeowners’ insurance, which protects the asset being backed — otherwise known as “your house” — from risk. And to get the best deals on insurance and make sure you’re fully covered for everything that needs to be addressed, you’ll probably need to talk to an insurance agent about your options. Most home insurance policies cover things like fire, for example, but they don’t automatically include coverage for other adverse events like a flood or an earthquake. Do you really need earthquake insurance? Well, your insurance agent can tell you! You may also be eligible for discounts on other insurance policies when you become a homeowner, like your car insurance. In addition, you may want to increase your coverage for policies like car insurance; now that you’re a homeowner, you have a big asset that could become part of a claim if you get into a bad car accident, you’re at fault, and your insurance doesn’t fully cover the other party’s damages or injuries. A good insurance agent can make sure you’re covered from all angles so that you can get on with the business of living your life.

Buying a house - whether it’s your first or fifth - can be a bumpy process. Between the financing, the availability (or scarcity) of homes on the market in your price range that meet your needs, the offer process, the appraisal and the inspection, there’s a lot that can go wrong between deciding that you are in the market for a new home and turning the keys for the first time in your new front door.

Is now the best time to sell your home? That’s an intensely personal question that depends on a number of factors -- many of them beyond your control. In 2006, some sellers might have been wondering if they should have waited another year and netted even more profit … but today we know that those sellers would have kicked themselves for making that decision.  Major economic shifts aside, there are ways you can manipulate your home’s sale to best benefit you and your family as you move into a bigger place or downsize to better fit your lifestyle. When you’re trying to target the most opportune time to put your home on the market, it helps to consider all of the factors involved and control what you can to maximize your price and profit.