Buying a house in a booming city usually takes time and possibly a little more money than you plan to spend. A few tips that may help home-seekers get the house of their dreams in an active market are: Do your math; In most cases of this nature, you will need to bid over the asking price. Find out how much other homes around are selling for and crunch your numbers. Factor in the amount of work the home needs and the square footage. Many homes, unless you build, will not have every amenity you desire. Consider going for a less expensive home with less competition, and turn it into the home you have always wanted. Come prepared; Create a letter describing yourself and why you want to buy the home, be pre-qualified for the loan, and bring an inspector or engineer along with you to view the home for the first time. You will increase your chances of success by using a little fore-thought. More here