The secret to having more Time and Money has been sought after by people for thousands of years. Recently, we have added a new item to the list of things to lust after…GAS.

While prices have come down slightly over the past week, they are anything but low. The average price for mid-grade gasoline in California is $4.23 while the U.S. average for mid-grade gasoline is $3.93 (data from from U.S. Energy Information Association, 8/11/08).

High gas prices wouldn’t be so bad if we were only driving a couple miles a day, but the majority of Americans are driving much more than that. In fact, the U.S. Department of Transportation reports that we drive an average of 13,476 miles per year.

At 20 miles per gallon and $4.23 per gallon, we are spending $2850.17 a year on gas. Sigh!

Real Estate agents suffer even more than the rest of us as they tote clients up and down the coast, from property to property. Anyone searching for a new home understands this plight…

So now the great challenge is to find a way to save time, money AND gas. It is definitely a challenge, but it is not impossible.

Follow the tips below and you will be well on your way to conserving our most prized possessions while you search for a new home.

Drive Less

I know that sounds like a terrible inconvenience, but it actually can be quite the opposite. Advancements in technology have armed the Real Estate community with powerful new tools that allow buyers to virtually tour properties, neighborhoods and communities.

A savvy agent will be able to show you satellite images of potential homes and track traffic in the area. You will be able to eliminate homes that aren’t right for you without wasting time or gas.

In the past real estate agents would have to show their clients 15 to 20 homes before they would find one that they like. The drastic improvements in our ability to preview properties through the internet have lowed that number – now agents typically show clients only 6 homes before they fall in love.

Translation: Eliminate homes that aren’t right for you through electronic tours and save precious time and gas.

Get More Gas for your Money

If you can’t resist the temptation of taking the drive to a potential home, you can stretch your gas tank farther with these tricks.

• Fill Up in the Morning: Gas is kept underground in tanks. In the colder morning ground gas becomes more dense and you will get more gas in your tank.
• Don’t Squeeze the Nozzle Trigger: The faster the gas pumps into your car, the more vapor that goes in with it. Keep it at a slow speed and load up on gas, not air.
• Fill Up Well Before Empty: Gas evaporates quickly when exposed to air. If you keep your tank at least half full at all times (so there is less air in the tank) you will minimize evaporation and maximize value.
• Find a Less Expensive Gas Station: Use this website to search for the gas station near you with the lowest prices.
• Beat the Traffic: The stop-and-go of traffic will dramatically reduce your highway miles per gallon. Use this site to find traffic-free routes.

There is no quick fix for the Gas-Time-Money quest, but there are things you can do to make the best of it. Use a technology-friendly agent to eliminate homes you don’t need to preview in person and stretch your gas miles as far as they will go. Oh — and if anyone comes up with the secret to unlimited time, be sure to let me know!