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Homeowners
How to Sell Your Home by Owner -- Top 5 FSBO Tips
By Alan Kirchain
Nov 13, 2005, 10:43

By using some simple FSBO (For Sale by Owner) tips and techniques, the average homeowner can sell his or her own home without the assistance of a real estate agent. Just as
many others have done in the past. You can sell your own home and save thousands, but it takes work and commitment.

Below you will read some simple strategies that can stack the odds in your favor, greatly increasing your chances for success when selling on your own.

FSBO Tip 1. Understanding the real estate market.

Getting an idea of your local market conditions makes good sense.  Just like any other product getting a feel of what's hot and what's not can help you make decisions that
affect the sale of your home. Consider your neighborhood and the features that distinguish it from others. If you're comfortable, contact a real estate agent to discuss what
the current market environment is like.

FSBO Tip 2. Timing is everything.

Timing the decision to sell and gauging the current market conditions could be two of the most critical decisions you make. If you need to sell your home quickly, the less
flexibility, you'll be able to have. Conversely, if you're not in a big hurry you can sit back and wait for the perfect buyer. Just remember the real estate market is a
cyclical environment. If it's a slow period now and you're in a position to wait it out then it might be a good idea to wait for the next upswing.

FSBO Tip 3. Assemble a team of professionals to help you.

While it's nice to think that you can handle things on your own, selling a home takes specialized knowledge.  It's more than just writing up a sales agreement. Depending on what
part of the country you're in you'll either need to find a real estate attorney or a title / escrow company to help with the legal details.  As a rule of thumb, if you're east
of the Mississippi it's usually a real estate attorney. If you're west of the Mississippi, it's a title company.  Either way they'll be an indispensable part of your home selling process.  Another important partner to consider is a reputable mortgage banker/lender.  They can assist in helping you prequalify buyer prospects too.


FSBO Tip 4.How to determine the fair market price of your home.

This always seems to be a real tricky one. For many home sellers this typically reveals itself as a major point of contention. When trying to decide on a price guessing or
basing your asking price on hearsay or nontraditional methods immediately reduces your negotiating advantage. Basing your price on what the house down the street sold
for or what media outlets perceives as increased market value is not the way to get a legitimate price either. There are only two legitimate and well-recognized ways of
determining a fair market value. One way is to contact a real estate agent or broker to provide you with a CMA otherwise known as a comparative market analysis.  The best and most accurate way of determining price comes from a full-blown appraisal done by a professional real estate appraiser.

FSBO Tip 5. You're selling a house not a home.

While it's important to become emotionally detached, you don't have to become a robot.After all this is your home, be objective but don't be cold. Keep in mind that people are
going to perceive your home differently than you do. Either way remain positive and ultimately the right person will walk through the door and buy your home. 


These FSBO tips should give you a solid foundation to successfully selling your own home.  There's many specific ideas and recommendations that are beyond the scope of this
article when it comes to pricing, preparing and staging your home, and all of the items previously outlined.  You should definitely research and prepare yourself for the
selling of your own home process. In the long run, it will make things easier and could either save you or even make you thousands of dollars. 

I have bought and sold several homes over the last 10 years by owner and knows what it takes to successfully get the job done. As a resident of  Jacksonville, My wife Tracey works as a
successful real estate agent. By understanding the ins and  outs of buying and selling real estate, you can accomplish  selling on your own with the right knowledge. For more  information on how to sell your own home, please visit http://www.easyfsbo101.com



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