To hear professional home inspectors tell it, Americans take better care of their automobiles than their homes. Consequently, every homebuyer should plan to spend the $400 to $600 necessary to have the house they like best throughly examined by an independent third party.

But wait: Before you make your final choice and order an inspection, you should do some preliminary investigating of your own. That way, you can protect against picking the wrong house and allowing a better-maintained property to slip away.

Even rookie buyers can get a good idea of just how well a house has been kept. Even when the seller has given the place a fresh shave and a haircut -- that is, painted the house and trimmed the lawn -- or done whatever else is necessary to make the property presentable, there can still be telltale signs that the seller hasn't been as diligent as he could have been.

For example, a clean furnace filter can be taken as an indication the house has been well cared for. But who's to say the seller didn't just change that filter for the first time in years? If the filter hasn't been changed regularly, the furnace hasn't been working efficiently and it may not last for its expected lifespan.

So how do you know? You don't. But if you spy a pile of spare filters, it's a pretty good sign that the owner is on the ball. Someone in the process of selling isn't buying extra filters she won't use.

Another clue that the furnace is in good shape: Look for a service log showing that the machine has been serviced regularly, at least once a year.

Of course, homebuyers, even those who have purchased several houses before, shouldn't substitute this kind of rudimentary investigation for a complete and exhaustive inspection by a trained professional. Even if the furnace has been serviced consistently, it could be on its last legs, and only a pro will be able to determine that.

If you are really interested in a property, make an appointment with the owner to return without an agent in tow. Give yourself plenty of time to give the place a good once-over.

Don't be afraid to kick the tires. You have every right to open closets, flush toilets, run the dishwasher through a full cycle, turn on all the stovetop burners, check the refrigerator and open the windows. The owners shouldn't object, not if they really want to sell.

You don't want to put every house you tour under this kind of microscope. That would be counterproductive. But once you narrow your choices down to two or three, it's time to take a harder look. Then, after you make your final decision, it's time to call in the experts.

Here, in no particular order, are some other suggestions from professional inspectors to help you decide if the properties you are considering are inspection-worthy:

-- If the house has a basement, follow your nose. If there is a damp, musty smell, there's usually an issue. A dehumidifier is another tip-off to a wet basement. They aren't part of the decor.

Also, look for stains or rot where the stringers, or side pieces, on the basement steps touch the floor. If there is a water problem, the moisture will wick into the wood.

If there is nothing on the basement floor, that could be a sign of water issues. Inspectors love to see stacks of old magazines in the corner with spider webs. That means those items have been there a long time, and that there is no water problem.

-- After water issues, improper electrical wiring is the second most common defect found by home inspectors. But while it is difficult for an amateur to determine if the electrical system is adequate, there are clues.

If you see a lot of fuses lying around, especially burnt-out ones, it's a dead giveaway that the wiring is probably undersized. Another sure-fire indication that the wiring is insufficient: a bunch of extension cords snaking around, hither and yon.

-- Roofing problems are also fairly common, so look for shingles that are cupping at the corners. They may have to be replaced. If the roof appears to be sagging between the joists, the entire thing may have to be removed. And if there are already two layers of shingles, the cost to fix it could be 20 percent higher or more.

If the house has been well-maintained, the owner will know exactly how many layers are on the roof, the age of the top layer and if new sheathing has been put down between the two layers.

-- Some owners will try to hide water damage in their bathrooms by recaulking and grouting tiles. But you can beat them at their own game by tapping on the tile where it hits the tub or shower floor. The tile should sound, and feel, solid. If it sounds hollow, give it a nudge to see if there is any give to the wall. If there is, something's going on behind there that isn't good.

-- Turn on the faucets on the bathroom sink and tub, and flush the toilet, all at the same time. If there is an appreciable drop in water flow, there could be a serious pressure problem, possibly caused by mineral buildup in old pipes.

-- Maybe 1 in 20 houses examined by the pros qualifies as well-maintained. But if the seller keeps a maintenance log backed by files of receipts, warranties, instruction manuals and color swatches, it's probably a safe bet that the house has been a labor of love.

Neatness counts, too. There should be access to all space, and nothing should be blocking the furnace or electrical panel.

Owners salivating over the huge profits they are about to reap from the sale of their homes are often surprised when they discover their bounty is a lot less than they figured. The old adage, "Don't count your chickens before they hatch," comes to mind.

Most folks realize that a good chunk of their proceeds will be going to the real estate professional who lists their house on the multiple listing service and then, markets the place online and with ads, flyers and other media tools. But there are often many other costs incurred by sellers. Your agent usually doesn't warn you about them, but they are there, and there's little you can do except pay them.

No one can tell you what your exact selling costs will be. But here's a brief rundown of the fees that will inevitably eat away at your bottom line:

-- Commissions. Most agents these days charge 5 to 7 percent of the eventual selling price. But the tariff could be more if your place is difficult to sell, or less if it is a cream puff.

Most houses these days are sold through the MLS, which is where everyone eventually looks to find their next home. And to get your place into the MLS, you'll need an agent.

Of course, you can try to sell on your own. But it might be better to look for a discount broker who will enter the house on the MLS and perform other services for either a flat fee or a smaller percentage of the pie.

Also worth noting: Even the commission paid to full-service agents is completely negotiable.

-- Inspections. Most buyers have the home inspected. But to avoid any surprises that you may have to deal with later, a seller's inspection is also in order. This will allow you to spot any issues and tend to them before the buyer even knows about them.

Figure on spending upwards of $200. It could be well worth it, when you consider that buyers tend to think repairs will be much more expensive then they really are. At worst, it could prevent the deal from being blown out of the water altogether.

-- Repairs. Who knows? But the inspection usually turns up at least a few problems that need to be addressed. Even if it's just things that you've lived with -- a slowly dripping faucet, for example, or an electrical outlet that doesn't work -- the buyer will probably want them fixed.

-- Staging. Most people realize that they must do a certain amount of fix-up to get their homes ready to sell. Painting, for sure, and perhaps washing the windows, and certainly making sure everything works as it should. But to really make their homes stand out, some sellers hire a stager, who is a professional at decluttering, reorganizing and sprucing up homes to look their very best.

-- Utilities. If you move out before you close and leave the house unoccupied, you'll have to keep the heat, water and air conditioning on while the place is empty so it can be shown to prospective buyers.

-- Insurance. You shouldn't cancel your homeowners' policy until the new owner takes over the title. So if you move out early, before the place is sold, you'll still have to keep coverage in force. Beware, though: Some insurers won't cover an unoccupied dwelling, and others will charge a higher premium.

-- Warranty. Once upon a time, a warranty to protect the eventual buyer for a year after the deal is closed -- paid for by the seller -- was one of the best marketing tools going. Now, though, nearly every seller includes a warranty, which is really a year-long service contract that covers repairs to appliances and the home's systems. So you'll stand out like a sore thumb if you don't offer one.

-- Closing costs. These vary from place to place, but it is common for sellers to pay at least 3 percent of the buyer's closing costs.

-- Legal fees. You may or may not hire an attorney to represent you in the transaction.

-- Property taxes. This universal tax is typically collected in two annual installments. You'll owe it from the date of your last payment to the day of the closing. This prorated amount will be larger the closer your closing day gets to the day your next payment is due.

-- Transfer taxes. Real estate transfer taxes are imposed by states, counties and municipalities on the transfer of title of real property within their jurisdictions. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 37 states and the District of Columbia have this levy.

-- Title insurance. Again according to local custom, the seller may be called upon to pay for the buyer's title insurance, which is a guarantee that a house has a clear title when it is transferred from one owner to the next.

-- Exit fees. Many condominium and homeowners' associations levy exit fees similar to transfer taxes. The few that don't collect monthly assessments from their owners hit them with a big fee when a unit within the complex is sold.

According to a 2010 study by the Community Associations Institute, half of all HOAs -- covering roughly 11 million homes -- charge what are sometimes called "transfer fees." Nearly 75 percent charge a fixed amount, ordinarily no more than $500. But it could be more. Almost 10 percent charge a percentage of the sales price, always less than 1 percent. And the remainder charge a multiple of the monthly assessment, typically two or three months' worth.

-- Interest. You'll owe interest on the outstanding amount on your mortgage. So don't count on the balance due from your last loan statement as your final payoff. Interest is calculated from the day your last payment is credited to your account until the day of closing. Consequently, the amount changes daily. And of course, the later in the month you close, the greater the amount you'll owe your lender.

-- Moving expenses. Finally, don't forget to subtract the cost of moving out of your old place and into the new one from your bottom line.

Today's homebuyers value services and retail outlets above all other community amenities, according to a new survey from John Burns Real Estate Consulting in Irvine, California.

Even when preferences are broken down by cohort -- Boomers born between 1946 and 1964, Gen Xers born between 1965 and 1979 and Gen Yers born from 1980 to 2000 -- having grocery stores and restaurants nearby are the No. 1 and No. 2 most desired among a list of 25 amenities.

Next on the list for Boomers and Gen Xers is walking trails, then fitness centers -- with the order reversed for Gen Y. A community-wide, high-speed Internet system is also a top choice. If a park is included at a property, prospects would prefer it be a dog park.

Actually, the only major differences among the more than 20,000 new-home shoppers who took part in the study relate to the presence of children in the younger housheholds.

Another finding: Community-wide events and experiences rank above pools, parks and other tangible amenities typically found in new properties. And the good news is that they are usually less expensive for developers.

ADDING SQUARE FOOTAGE

Homebuyers looking for more square footage without increasing the size of the house may want to consider pocket doors, which slide into the wall cavity when open.

According to Johnson Hardware, which makes pocket door hardware and other building materials, traditional swinging doors require 8 to 10 square feet of usable floor space, whereas pocket doors need none. Replacing, say, a dozen swinging doors with pocket doors could yield an extra 120 square feet, or the equivalent of a 10-by-12-foot room.

Pocket doors tend to make rooms appear bigger. And double doors in which one slides one way and the other slides the other way -- converging doors, if you will -- can make for one large room when open or two smaller, more intimate rooms when closed.

Looked at another way, the company says that if a home is initially built with pocket doors, it could be kept to a smaller footprint right from the start. That means less house to build, heat and cool -- which could mean big savings.

RENTAL REVIEWS AND SCORES

Nothing beats an on-site visit, whether you are buying or renting. But prospective renters are placing more and more importance on online reviews, according to a new study.

A second study finds that credit scores improve when on-time rental payments are included. That's good news for renters who want to become owners, whether for the first time or for a second go-round after previous failed attempts at the brass ring.

The analysis by TransUnion found that nearly 8 out of 10 consumers with blemished credit -- the so-called "subprime" gang -- saw an increase in their scores just one month after rent payments were included. More than 4 out of 10 saw an increase of 10 points or more in their scores.

That means these consumers, who are potential borrowers for home loans, may not be as risky as they appear strictly from the standpoint of a traditional credit score, according to Tim Martin, TransUnion's executive vice president.

More proof: On average, renters who became owners in early 2012 experienced a 5 percent boost to their credit scores in 2013 after their rental histories were included.

Meanwhile, the study that found consumers are placing an increased importance on online reviews warned that not just any review will do. Prospects give a thumbs-down to anonymous opinions. Rather, they want authenticated, certified reviews that include real feedback from actual residents who live or have lived in the community.

More than two-thirds of the survey's participants said they can spot a fake review a mile away. Authenticated reviews are those that are vouched for by the apartment developer or management company.

Both studies were released at an apartment industry conference last month.

PUBLICITY HOUNDS

The lengths some outfits will go to, to get their names in the papers or on the news, now border on the ridiculous. We're talking about the proliferation of indices and "best of" lists that seem to come out on an almost daily basis.

We're not questioning the accuracy of the reports, though you have to wonder if their samples are deep enough to label the results meaningful. Rather, you have to suspect whether they are simply veiled attempts at one-upmanship as competing companies look to gain publicity -- and ultimately customers -- for their respective brands.

The latest is RealtyTrac's first Natural Disaster Housing Risk Report, which assigns a natural disaster risk score to more than 3,000 housing markets across the country. In something of an understatement, Daren Blomquist, the data firm's vice president, admitted that the possibility of a natural disaster "may not be the first item" on home buyers' checklists.

Really? We suspect that the potential for disaster is not even on most buyers' lists. Nor should it be. Almost every state in the union is susceptible to one calamity or another, so why even bother?

Besides, as Blomquist says in the report, disaster data is available online from Uncle Sam and other sources. If it is that important to a buyer, he will find a way to dig it up.

But wait: If these lists are simply attempts to gain publicity, then it worked in this instance. 'Cause there it is.