Some House Buying Observations

You see a house you like, you make some inquiries as to its availability and set up an appointment to check it out. 

You take a look and maybe if it fits your requirements, you make an initial offer. At this point you have to invest a certain amount of emotion, otherwise you wouldn't be interested in living there in the first place. You start imagining where your furniture would go, things you would change, your first Xmas, hosting all the family. 

You anxiously await the realtor's call. You don't want to contact them as you're trying to play it cool - no big deal, houses come and go - but inside you're wondering why he hasn't called ? Was your offer not good enough, did you have too many buyer conditions or is the house just not that into you? 

Maybe you leave a casual message, suggest that you're going to start submitting offers on other places to see if that will make him get back to you.

If he's a good realtor, he will get back to you eventually, completely oblivious to the fact that your life has been on hold until he calls.  Then he delivers the bad news - someone else was better than you.  The buyers preferred someone else.  They suited the house better, they had more money, they didn't want a Builder's report*.  If he's a bad realtor, he just never calls and you're left wondering, what did you do wrong? A few weeks later you see if was sold and realize it was never meant to be...

So you start over.  Check out some houses online, visit a few open homes and start to pinpoint your next target.  And so it goes, you repeat the process all over again, convinced you've found the perfect place and no other will do.  But it's ok because there's no way, this one will slip through your hands.  It was meant to be**.

A bit like trying to find a man.  But not to worry, there are plenty more houses in the sea***.

*Quite frankly, they don't sound very smart, fiscally responsible or a good fit.  
**On reflection, it apparently was not meant to be.  You got your emotions invested in a shitty house with gas leaks, impending sink holes in the yard and asbestos.  You've become attracted to not just a fixer-upper but a complete shit hole.  
***Which is a terrible place for a house to be.  You should definitely ask for a Builder's report if you're planning on buying an house that lives in the ocean and is not a boat.