"Negotiation is a basic means of getting what you want from others." --ROGER FISHER AND WILLIAM URY, GETTING TO YES

ONCE YOU'VE SPOTTED A POSSIBLE GOOD DEAL, YOU'LL want to transform it from possibility to reality by persuading the owner to sell--sell, that is, at a price and terms that are acceptable to you. Now, it would be nice if the owner would see the deal from exactly your perspective. But that almost never happens, so you must negotiate an agreement that is recorded in a written contract and executed by all parties involved in the transaction.

In most cases, you'll be using a printed contract form with the blanks filled in to present your offers and respond to ...