Watch Out for These Home-Selling Tricks

If you're a home seller, you've probably studied the little tricks that attract buyers, like painting the door the dog scratched and putting down a new "welcome" mat.

But if you're a prospective buyer, it's not a bad idea to pay attention to the things home sellers and agents do to make a house look better.

"It's not about keeping problems from buyers; there are laws that say sellers have to disclose issues with the house," says Doug Robinson, a real estate agent in the Chicago area. "But if I can highlight a home's best features when you come see it, I'm doing my job." ...