There's no question that a good Chapel Hill realtor will prove indispensable when you start looking for the place you will call home. It is a realtor, after all, who already knows the greater triangle of North Carolina's Heartland so well. If you're new to the area, you have an idea of how rich this middle swath of the state is. You know that the Blue Ridge lies just two hours to the west. Your beloved Outer Banks beckon two hours to the east. And the 600 golf courses that keep calling your name, well, you already know them.

Before you start, of course, you need to get specific about what you want in a house--how many rooms, and whether sunlight from the east or the west is important. If you have young children, any children, you'll be looking at school systems and options. Public transportation will doubtless be either important or at least a factor.

All these considerations and more are what a Chapel Hill realtor has access to in the Triangle MLS. The MLS is that listing of 12,000 active properties for sale in the greater Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill areas. And, no, you won't be able to get to it on your own. Access is limited to real estate professionals.

Qualities You Want Your Chapel Hill Realtor to Have

Clearly, you will as always want someone who knows the triangle area well, someone who has both lived and worked in Chapel Hill for a very long time. Even if you are native to Chapel Hill and the town environs yourself, chances are that your familiarity, as intimate as it is, is limited to certain neighborhoods and certain schools. A Chapel Hill realtor who knows his or her stuff can open you to all sorts of hidden possibilities.