When buying a new home, there really isn't much room for bartering back and forth. At least, not as far as the sale price of the home is concerned. But if you're the kind of person who enjoys the finer points of haggling, while getting the most mileage out of your buying dollars, don't give up just yet.

The potential for negotiation hasn't been thrown to the wayside. You just have to know what points are up for discussion. Typically, buyer incentives are the place to start. This includes everything from the actual cash (down payment, closing costs, etc.) to an endless list of giveaways and upgrades.

Under the strain of a less-than-thriving market, buyers have the advantage. In this kind of economic climate, builders become more willing to offer incentives to new home buyers. After all, it really is not a viable option for builders to lower the prices of their new homes, as this could diminish the overall value of the homes already sold in a particular neighborhood.

Then again, the last thing a builder wants to have is an overstocked product that can't be moved. Just the taxes and costs associated with upkeep of the surplus inventory would be too much of a hit for the builder to take. So, offering incentives to new home buyers is a clever way for builders to sidestep this issue without losing the sale.

Make it a point to know all promotional incentives being advertised by your builder. Many builders even use their Web sites to post current and ongoing coupons and specials. These kinds of deals can become available to new home buyers at any and every stage during the home buying process. "Early bird" discounts, for example, give a break to those who are the first to claim homes in undeveloped subdivisions, while "last-minute" incentives are aimed to benefit those who round out a community by purchasing the final homes available.