Remember, the amount of money you walk away with is second only to being protected from future liability. Therefore:
Involve a lawyer early, before signing the listing agreement.
Commissions in this areas vary from 2% to 6% with some agents even advertising 7% so they can knock it down to give you a "good deal." When houses cost $100K, 6% made sense. Not any more.
Check out this website. I have no idea how he is in real life, but I like what he writes:
http://franklyrealty.com/