Q: Real estate values vary widely, even within a city. Figure out areas where you'd like to live, and browse listings in those areas. Use your monthly payment calculations to identify neighborhoods with houses you can afford. If you'r not familiar with the city, look into the reputation of any neighborhood you pick. Check information about the neighborhood to make sure it meets your needs. For example, if you will be commuting to work, you might want a neighborhood that is convenient to a major highway or thoroughfare. If you have kids, you would want to evaluate the local schools. Depending on the size of the metropolitan area, it might be a good idea to look in several neighborhoods, rather than just one. It is possible to search for houses by driving through neighborhoods or reading the classifieds in your local paper. However, you'll find the most listings on real estate websites. Online listings allow you to limit your searches based on the neighborhood, listing price, and various characteristics of the property. You may also have the option of searching exclusively for houses that are for-sale-by-owner (FSBO). It may be less intimidating to focus on FSBO listings. That way, you would be negotiating with the other owner, not with an experienced real estate agent. However, you don't need to restrict your search solely to FSBO listings. Comparable listings tell you whether the asking price for a home is fair. Research homes of similar size, age, and characteristics in the neighborhoods you're interested in. Determine generally what houses like that are selling for. Focus on listings within the past 6 months. When you find a house you're interested in, compare it to other listings in the area. If the asking price is significantly higher, look for differences in the property that would explain it. Go through a similar process if the asking price is significantly lower than other listings. Talk to sellers and find out why they're selling their house, and how long it's been on the market. Try to figure out their motivation for setting a particular listing price. Once you find a house that you like, find out if the homeowner has an agent. If so, make your offer and negotiate with the agent. If the house is FSBO, negotiate with the homeowners directly. Look at comparable listings in the area to craft your offer. Take any unique features about the property into consideration. Negotiation is a process, so your initial offer typically will be less than the maximum you're willing to pay for the property. However, don't make your offer so low that you insult the homeowners. Check the applicable laws to make sure you're drawing up the offer correctly. In some states, you'll need to hire an attorney to draw up the formal offer. The owners may accept your offer, but typically they'll come back with a counteroffer. Expect a counteroffer if your offer was significantly below their asking price. You may respond to their counteroffer in writing, or arrange to meet in person to discuss the property. Provide justifications for your offer, including comparable listings. Be prepared to defend your offer, but also be willing to compromise. Negotiations may get heated, particularly if the owners have an emotional attachment to the home. Emotions can cause people believe a property is worth more than it actually is. Be ready to walk away if it appears the owners aren't actually ready to sell their home. Before you close the deal on the house, you need an inspection and an appraisal. The inspector carefully examines the interior and exterior of the house and identify any problems. Typically your agent would choose the inspector. Since you don't have an agent, you'll need to do this on your own. You might ask the listing agent if they have any recommendations. The buyer's agent usually is present during the inspection. You can ask the listing agent to be there instead, but they may want additional compensation for this. If you've placed an offer on a house that is FSBO, you may need to hire an agent to be present during the inspection. Talk to a real estate attorney or check the applicable laws to find out for sure.
A: Identify neighborhoods where you want to live. Check real estate listings online or through social media. Compare selling prices of homes in the area. Make an offer on the house you want to buy. Negotiate with the owners of the house. Hire a home inspector to examine the house.

Article: It's either this, or lick the spoon gently. Don't drench it! It can basically be placed anywhere on your nose, as long as it is on the ledge of it. Your spoon is balanced perfectly on your nose (if you did it right)!
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Breathe on the spoon, creating a "Huh" noise. Immediately after breathing on or licking the spoon, place it on your nose so that it is up high, but not too high. There you have it! Finished.

Q: When you draft a contract to hire an independent contractor, you don't have to start from scratch. Government agencies, law firms, and other legal services have free forms available that you can copy and adapt to your needs. A template designed for independent contractors in the same industry will be easier for you to adapt. For example, if you're hiring a freelance writer to produce content for your website, you don't necessarily want to use an agreement template designed for construction contractors. Ideally, you should find an agreement that is designed to be used in the state where you live (or where the work will be performed) and drafted or reviewed by an attorney. Your agreement should include the legal names of both yourself and your independent contractor. If the independent contractor has an LLC or corporation, use the legal name of the business rather than the contractor's individual name. In contracts, it's common to spell the legal names out once initially and refer to the parties by generic titles throughout the rest of the contract. For example, you might refer to yourself as "client" and the independent contractor as "contractor." Generally, when you hire an independent contractor you only need their services for a short period of time. The contract should state specifically when the contractual relationship begins and when it will end. Even if you intend the contract to end when the work is completed, you still want a contractual deadline by which the work must be completed. If you intend the relationship to be longer term, check your state's law or consult an employment attorney to find out if there are any limitations in your state regarding the length of contracts. Your contract should include a section that sets out specifically what the contractor will be doing for you, including what they will be responsible for and how their performance will be evaluated. If the contractor is required to use any of their own tools or resources, include this information in your description of the job. Include any information about how the completed work will be submitted or delivered to you, if necessary. One section of your agreement should state specifically how much the contractor is being paid for their services, as well as when and how you're making payment. Include any conditions you want to place on final payment. For example, if you're hiring a contractor to remodel your kitchen, you may make your final payment to the contractor contingent on the work passing inspection. Include the method of payment. If you're paying through a third-party service that charges fees, your contract should state whether you or the contractor is responsible for paying those fees. All independent contractor agreements include legal language stating that the person is an independent contractor and not your employee. It may include a brief description of the responsibilities the contractor has as a result of this relationship. In some cases, it may be enough simply to include a statement that says "In providing services under this agreement, the parties agree that Contractor is an independent contractor and not an employee of Client." Some states may require specific language to create an independent contractor relationship. Make sure any form or template you use is designed to be legally valid in your state. Signing the contract before the independent contractor starts work for you ensures that the contract will legally govern the work performed. If the contractor starts work before signing the contract, they could later argue that they agreed to something different. Both you and the contractor should sign the contract. After all signatures are in place, make copies of the signed contract for the contractor and your own records.
A:
Search online for forms or templates. Identify the parties to the agreement. Include a specific period of time. Describe the work to be performed. Provide payment terms. Define the person as an independent contractor. Get the contract signed before work starts.