In today's market "for sale by owner" may be the best way to sell. Trust me, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to be successful at selling your own home. The information in this article may provide you with in-site you may not have had before. You can do it yourself!

By Connie Sanders

Today’s real estate market may make it difficult to get the full value out of your home if you have to sell.  One of your options is to sell “for sale by owner”.  Selling FSBO is not difficult.  The advice in this article should get you off on the right foot.

Prepare your home for buyers.  New paint makes a world of a difference and is very inexpensive.  Make sure it is clean, clean, clean.  Most important and most over looked by sellers, you need to get rid of the clutter, inside and out.  Less is more!  Rent a storage facility or have a garage sale but get rid of the clutter.  Less furniture makes a room look larger.  Over stuffed closest are a real turn off to buyers who ALL want plenty of storage space.  Get rid of all the nick knacks.

We all know how important curb appeal is.  Get those yards cleaned up, front and back!  Remember, an appraisal has pictures of the back yard as well as the front.  I know this sounds silly but a junky back yard tells an underwriter a lot about your home’s interior and maintenance routine.  A buyer may over look it but the appraiser and lender do not.

Next, get a home inspection performed.  An inspector will check the structure and systems in your home.  He may find things you are not aware of.  It is better to find and repair these issues before the buyer’s inspector does.

Make sure you price it right.  Spend the money to get a professional appraisal performed by a HUD approved appraiser.  Do not rely on a real estate agent’s market analysis.  These are seldom accurate and many times an agent will just blow smoke by telling you what they think you want to hear.

Go sit down with your local mortgage broker.  He has a wealth of knowledge you need to take advantage of.  Most mortgage brokers have free FSBO programs that will help you immensely.  You should know what your closing costs and home repair cost will be based on the type of loan the buyer qualifies for.  A VA loan will cost you more in closing fees and home repairs than a conventional loan?  Will your home qualify for a FHA loan without making very costly repairs?  If you are on a tight budget and need every possible dime out of the sale of your home you may want to negotiate in the contract that the buyer gets conventional financing.

A mortgage broker will also teach you the critical areas you need to watch in the sales contract.  He may even provide you with blank contracts and other state mandatory disclosures required when you sell your home.  Most brokers will even create your home flyer and more important, your financing options flyer.  Perspective buyers want to know two things:  how much will my payments be, and how much money do I need to pay down plus closing cost.

You should list your home on a “For Sale By Owner” web site.  I want to caution you here.  A lot of these sites try to charge you a lot of money for things that do not/will not help sell your home.  Homebuyers DO NOT spend hours searching “For Sale By Owner” web sites.  They work with real estate agents, read the papers, and drive on the streets in the neighborhoods they want to live in.

The advantage you get by listing your home on the Internet is that you put the URL in your newspaper ads, your flyers, and on your yard sign.  When a buyer drives by your home and sees the URL on your yard sign he can look it up on the internet, see the photos,amenities, and the price.  If your house fits their needs and their budget, they will call you.  If not, it is less of a bother for you.  Letting lookey-loo’s in your home every week can get old quick.  Don’t you really only want truly interested buyers at your door?  There are many free FSBO websites on the net.  Check it out.

With all this said, the rest is just common sense.  You Can Sell It Yourself!

Connie Sanders has a deep concern for the consumer in the real estate market. Connie created a free For Sale By Owner web site, http://www.fsbobasics.com to help educate consumers new to the real estate market.

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