Going by the local grocery's empty shelves, everyone is pretty much stocked up on batteries and beer....
Same thing used to happen when I lived in new england and a big winter storm was coming.
I always wondered what people did with all those batteries...
As far as real estate transaction costs, I've sold my last two at a 1.5% sellers agent rate and a 2% buyers agent rate.
If your regular agent wont do 1.5%, there are entire companies that operate at that rate standard. 3% made sense prior to the internet and the MLS when an agent actually had to SELL your house. And 3% to the buyers agent also made sense 20 years ago when a house didnt cost much and the buyers agent had to hustle around looking for properties to show.
In the day of the internet, MLS and virtual tours, coupled with mid six figure home costs, 1-1.5% on each side makes more sense. I only offer 2% to the buyers agents because for less than that they'll skip over your listing when showing properties.
In fact, the final two homes I wanted to buy last year were ones that *I* found myself on
www.realtor.com and brought to the agents attention. Later I noticed they were both 2% sellers agent sales.
The other thing to do if you're buying a house is to look at the offers brought to you by Costco and Sams Club. I went through costco for my buyers agent and as part of the deal she kicked back a little less thab 1/3 of the buyers agent commission (.85% of the sales price of the home). That came in handy. It was extremely easy, I filled out an online form from Lending Tree, later I got an email from them, then one from the buyers agent. I emailed the buyers agent back with my specifics and she called the next day with a list of properties to look at. After the sale was transacted, I filled out a short form, had the realtor sign it, and mailed it in. A few weeks later I got a check.