Yikes

Well now I'm getting a little nervous about this whole contract thing, because all the real estate agents tell you that "time is of the essence" when you're going to contract on a home, and yet it doesn't seem as stringent as I once thought it was.

If these people are going to say that time is of the essence, then they really should stick to their guns. Particularly, when I put in an addendum that the sellers have three days to ratify, I want it done within three days, not five!

Do any of you have any similar stories? With the price of a house these days, I just want to make sure I'm doing all the right things.