Hiring a Buyer's Broker

no
you can have a broker -- but no committment -- no fee unless you close -- fee paid by seller as part of the purchase price.

No - if you choose to use a buyer's broker, most will not ask you to sign anything giving them an exclusive right to represent you. You can work with as many as you wish to, although to be fair to everyone, you should disclose that you are using multiple buyers brokers. Their fee will be part of the commission paid by the seller.

That being said, don't automatically assume that you *need* a buyer's broker. With tools like S/Easy and Craigslist and a healthy dose of common sense, you can do everything yourself. Just remember that the only person who is really looking out 100% for your interest is you. Afterall, buyer's brokers get paid on a % of the selling price just like the seller's broker. With likely few exceptions, they're much more interested in getting a deal done than in getting you the best price. However, if you really have no idea what you're doing and no desire to do any research on your own, it might be worth getting screwed over a little to avoid getting screwed over a lot.

Just my two cents.

thanks