Many homeowners believe to maximize their home sale they should sell it themselves. At first glance, they feel selling a home is simple. Why should they pay a broker fee for something they could do themselves? However, close to half of all FSBO’s were unhappy with the results they achieved by selling themselves. WHY?

Many FSBO’s say the time, paperwork and everyday responsibilities involved were not worth the money they saved in commissions. By the time they figured out fees paid to marketing and advertising, they would have been better off paying a broker’s fee that would have included these charges.

Selling a home requires an intimate understading of the real estate market. In today’s market if the property is priced too high, it will sit and develop a reputation as a problem property.  REMEMBER TIME IS MONEY when selling a home and if you spend too much money on marketing then is it worth trying to sell it yourself?

Before you decide to sell FSBO, consider these questions. A little time spent now could pay off tenfold in the future.

DO I HAVE THE TIME, ENERGY, KNOW HOW, AND ABILITY TO DEVOTE TO SELL MY HOME? 

One of the keys to sell your home effectively is complete accessibility. Many homes sit on the market much longer than necessary because the owner isn’t available to show the property.  If you are going to try to sell by owner, you must devote a certain amount of time each day and it is not going to be according to your schedule all of the time.

AM I PREPARED TO DEAL WITH THE ONSLAUGHT OF BUYERS WHO THINK THEY CAN “LOW BALL” THE SELLER?

Another challenge of selling a home by owner is screenign unqualified prospects who thing they can low ball you since your saving money on the real estate commission.

AM I ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT FINANCING FOR THE BUYER?

One of the keys to selling is to haave all the necessary information about the buying process including financing. If you can recommend a lender to assist them in the buying process the quicker your home will be sold.

DO I UNDERSTAND ALL THE LEGAL ISSUES IN SELLING A HOME BY OWNER AND DO I HAVE ALL OF THE LEGAL FORMS NEEDED TO GIVE TO A BUYER?

You should ask yourself : “Am I prepared to handle legal disputes with buyers?” and ” Do I have access to  forms such as real estate contracts, seller disclosure forms, lead based paint, radon, etc.

My hope here has been to educate and help you avoid the pitfalls many FSBO’s go through. I hope you found the ideas valuable and if there is ever any way I can be of service to you or anyone you care about. please have them contact me personally here or at my website: jacklewitz.com. Your initial onsultation is always completely free of charge and you’re under no obligation of any kind. We’ll sit down for 15-20 minutes ….no high-pressure, just plain talk. Go ahead and give me a call. I’d love to hear from you!