The suggestions about seeing a house you think you really like a second time are very good. When you go the second time, take pictures. Your mind can play tricks on you after you have seen house number 5 or 20. Go by yourself at rush hour, late evening, early rush hour and midday during the week if you can. Just park on the street and watch what is happening for a while. If you get the chance, talk to some of the neighbors that you might see out in their yards or walking the dogs. My brother fell in love with a house on a country road and we had looked at it on a Sunday afternoon. Went back during the week to find out the road was a main thoroughfare for dump trucks going to a quarry and a by-pass on the interstate for trucks that wanted to avoid weigh stations. The constant noise was incredible.

I would also suggest that you sit down and make of list with three columns of things you must have, would like to have, would like to avoid. Make copies of your list and give one to your realtor and take a new copy with you each time you go to a different house and mark off the things that fit or do not fit on your list. There are so many things to think of and then when you fall in love with the bathroom in one house you forget that it only has a carport or some other feature you really don't want. You also have to be able to tell the difference between a feature that you hate that can be changed easily and a feature you hate that can not be changed. Don't sweat the lousy flooring or the horrible paint color. But do sweat the busy road, the lousy schools, or the backyard that is as big as a postage stamp.

This is a fun time. Try to be organized. Get a notebook and if you have any interest in a house take notes as you go through it. Make notes of things that may not have made your original list, like, no tub in master bath, two closets in second bedroom, etc. Listen carefully to everything you are told. And don't let anyone push you into a house that is not what you think you can live with. Your house is out there. Sometimes it appears on the first try, more often it takes a little longer.

Just the fact that you have a buyers agent and don't know what or how she is paid is a bad sign. Ask questions. Lots of questions. If you don't understand ask them again and say you don't understand. If you don't like the answers, tell them you don't like that answer. What are the alternatives?

Good luck and happy hunting!