Experienced help needed to find home

[Anand S.]

I’m not sure if this is the right forum for this post.

I am a buyer looking for a home. Given the current economic climate, I am only willing to purchase if I buy below market value (hopefully way below).

I recently joined RealtyTrac and am amazed at the amount of properties in the foreclosure process. However, very few are in the REO stage and actively listed for sale. Also, I believe once these homes hit this stage they usually aren’t very good deals anyway.

That takes me to my question. I assume most of the good deals are made prior to the home getting to the REO stage. I also assume a good amount of experience is required to negotiate an amicable deal with the banks and owners. How do I go about finding an experienced person to negotiate a deal for me, given my requirements? I can even provide the exact homes that interest me. Any suggestions? Is there a standard fee for this type of service, similar to a Realtor fee.

RealtyTrac provides a recommendation, but I fear this may just be some inexperienced Realtor.