It's usually best to retain a real estate agent when looking to sell your house or in searching for a new house. You probably already know the best reasons for working through a licensed real estate agent, but here's a reason you probably didn't know. Not one person in a thousand knows this little gem.

The United States Federal Government annually sells a lot of houses. The houses come from many different departments of the federal government. You can read about housing sold directly by the federal government here.

The catch is this: you'll have to make your purchase through a real estate agent. So if you're interested in buying a home directly from the government, look for a real estate agent who has experience in such transactions.

It is always best to compare several different real estate agents before making your final selection. You'll quickly learn which are the most knowledgeable and able to help.