Real Estate

8. If you're thinking of buying a brand new house...

Consider that a home that's been lived in has been tested, says Lieb. The seller will be able to tell you if the basement takes on water in a rainstorm, for instance.

"People will pay a lot of money for a brand new house. I tell people, it's only new once. It's like a car — you drive it out of the lot, it's not new," she says.