Archive for the ‘For Sale By Owner’ Category

Advantages of FSBO Over Hiring a Real Estate Agent

Tuesday, January 6th, 2009

If a seller has the time and determination, FSBO Homes can turn out to be a better choice. Here are some of the advantages of FSBO over real estate agent sale:

  • There is direct communication between you and the buyer. This translates to fast and efficient exchange of information.
  • You are the only person most fit to market your home. You know every single detail about it and no real estate agent can contend to that.
  • You know about all the offers that have been submitted. Since you are involved in every single transaction, you are well-informed about prospective buyers.
  • You have the assurance that people who check out your home are actually serious buyers. On the contrary, real estate agents have the tendency to show several properties the same buyer only to give them basis for comparison.
  • You set your own rules. Unlike in real estate agent sale, you decide on the time line and all other matters involved.

Indeed, For Sale By Owner has its advantages. However, it also has its downside that can not be neglected:

  • FSBO has not as much resources as real estate agent sale. Unlike real estate agents, you might not have access to significant information such as real estate market reports, comprehensive list of potential buyers, and real estate contacts, among others.
  • You might have limited real estate sale experience. On the other hand, real estate agents have been doing home sales all their lives. This can prove to be important in terms of negotiating with potential buyers.
  • You cannot list your home on some real estate Internet sites. There are some websites where only real estate agents have access to. Having your property listed on such sites can be very beneficial as they are frequently visited by potential buyers.

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Research Is Key to Pricing Your FSBO House Right

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008

Like all homeowners, you want to sell your FSBO home at the best price. But how do you arrive at the best price? The best price would be the price level at which your house is sold within three weeks and at the same time provides you with good profit.

You can establish the right price by researching various FSBO listings and making comparisons. Make sure that you compare your FSBO house to similar homes for sale by owners.

There are five types of house listings that you need to research:

  1. Listings of FSBO homes with similar characteristics
  2. Focus on lists that include homes within a half-mile of your home. Do not compare homes from nearby neighborhoods but separated by railroads or freeways.

  3. List of sold FSBO properties
  4. Look at original list prices and final sales prices and calculate price reductions. Note how often final sales prices equal actual sales prices, including percentage of reductions if actual sales prices are reduced.

  5. Withdrawn and expired FSBO listings
  6. Analyze why the homes were not sold and look for patterns. See if the unsold houses were listed by the same broker.

  7. Lists of pending sales
  8. Monitor the number of days the houses stay on the market. Track the changes in prices.

  9. Price comparisons
  10. Consider the square-foot cost of comparable homes for sale by owners. If your house is 1800 square-foot, compare homes sized 1600 to 2000 square-foot.

After you have gathered prices from comparable FSBO houses, made calculations and arrived at your own sales price, analyze the FSBO market. Is it a seller’s market where you name your price or is it a buyer’s market where you bow down to the buyer’s price?

Remember however that during these times of economic difficulties, the buyers control the housing market. Be careful of overpricing, as the longer your FSBO home is on sale, the more difficult it is to be sold at your desired price.

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Facts and Tips in Buying Homes For Sale By Owner

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008

Several myths have surrounded homes with hand-painted signs on the lawn that say For Sale By Owner which distracted potential buyers from inquiring, or even considering, these homes for sale by owner. One popular myth is that owners of FSBO homes are not really going to sell. This may be true for some people who are just testing the market. However, with the increasing market movement for FSBOs, these homeowners are actually serious in selling their properties.

Some buyers think that homes that are for sale by owner are hiding something, like defective materials, that owners opted to forego hiring real estate agents to keep them hidden. However, FSBOs are bounded by the same laws that cover all homes for sale, and these laws require full disclosures and material information.

An old notion existed that properties for sale by owner will not give the buyer flexibility with pricing. With the current financial crisis, FSBO owners are under the impression that they badly need every cent from the home sale and will not bend on the number they put on the FSBOs price tag. On the contrary, the National Association of Realtors have indicated that FSBO listings are actually sold less than agent-sold houses. FSBO owners are not professional sellers and most have done this only for the first time. A little haggle on prices, or starting out smaller than the listing could finalize a price that would benefit both seller and buyer.

Before finalizing the deal with the FSBOs, ensure that you have established the details of your purchase contract with the seller. Real estate agents usually have legal departments for this, but you can hire independent lawyers to do the same job for you. Make it clear with the seller on who is responsible for fees like taxes, escrow and other related items, and arrange for a home inspection.

There are other tips that potential buyers can learn regarding FSBOs. Those seeking to buy new homes can learn from these and get the most from their FSBO deals.

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Effectively Marketing FSBO Homes

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008

Homes for sale by owner can be marketed by applying these indispensable techniques. Selling property can even be interesting with marketing strategies that just need a dose of creativity and a good sense of what a buyer needs.

Make Sure that the Property is Well-Maintained
Homes for sale by owners should always be clean. Make sure that lawns are neat and well-maintained, bushes are trimmed, and paths going to the front door are clear. This is essential in successfully employing the next few tips.

Take Good Photographs
Advertisements without photographs will usually cause buyers to pass up an fsbo sale.

Front Photos
For front photos, remember to crop streets and sidewalks from the picture, avoid shadows, and keep vehicles out of sight. A good, close-up angled shot is best.

Exterior Shots
For exterior photos, long shots which emphasize space are recommended.

Interior Shots
Open drapes and turn on the lights. Focus on interesting and good aspects of the house. Adding accents such as flower arrangements is also a nice touch.

Advertise
The most basic advertisement is signages with the agent’s and seller’s contact numbers. Make sure that the neighborhood association allows signages though. Ask neighbors if signs can also be put up on their lawns too. Flyers with photos could also be mass distributed through the internet. Aside from these, mailing eye-catching postcards to agents, neighbors and other buyers are an inexpensive way to catch interest.

Arrange Tours
Sellers can arrange host broker or agent tours if the transaction is to be made through representation. Another interesting strategy is giving virtual tours which buyers love. One can add sounds and nice script to go with the tour. Make sure that a 360 degree view of rooms is given. Adding photographs for download is also a good idea.

By following these techniques can make selling an fsbo home a creative and satisfying experience.

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Getting the Best Deals on Homes for Sale by Owner

Monday, December 1st, 2008

The numbers of homeowners who want to sell their homes through the FSBO method (For Sale by Owner) are slowly gaining momentum with more online presence. Most owners of homes that are for sale by owner are opting for this method to save on cost allotted for agent’s commissions. With home prices going down rapidly, maximizing the profit for these homes is the priority most sellers are rooting for.

The following are tips in getting the best deals in doing a For Sale By Owner:

Determine the Worth of Your Home

Don’t rely so much on information provided by agents regarding pricing. Remember that they are competing with other agents to lure your business. Take extra efforts in researching for a similar home in the market where you can base your price on. Once you put your home for sale by owner out in the market, there might be no turning back on the price tag you put in place.

Getting Your Home Ready For Sale by Owner

Your home can attract buyers more if you present it as immaculately clean as possible. Presenting the home as professionally as possible can make the difference in closing a good deal or prospective buyers changing their minds and moving on. Spending some amount for minor improvements can make a significant impact.

Marketing Your Home as For Sale by Owner

Invest some amount for advertising. Take this out on the savings you get from agent’s commission. List your homes in Realtor’s sites, or other websites hosting FSBOs. Make flyers and mailers and hand these out in tours and auctions. Flyers and online ads should capture good photos of your home. Hire a good photographer to make at least four excellent shots and angles on your house. Online video can be another effective tool that would attract more prospects.

Be flexible with your viewing schedules and have someone man the phones regularly. The next caller might be the buyer you are waiting for.

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Pros and Cons of Homes For Sale by Owner

Thursday, November 27th, 2008

Homes for sale by owner, or FSBOs (or fizzbo in real estate slang) have slowly been growing in numbers as indicated by the growing number of listings in real estate web sites. Web traffic in this area is continuously picking up indicating a growing number of transactions involving homes for sale by owner.

With the growing number of foreclosures in crisis proportions raging across the country, families who are having trouble with their payments are making decisions in short selling their homes. To maximize the value they would get from such sales and make more money out of it, homes for sale by owners are becoming a trend.

The following are some pros and cons of homes for sale by owner as compared to traditional sales through agents.

Pros

With homes for sale by owner, sellers can drop the price of their homes to make it more attractive to buyers. They will take this out of the supposed commissions for agents which they didn’t hire. For a house selling $600,000 on the market as a FSBO, the seller can get as much as $36,000 by getting rid of the agent.

Websites that are dedicated for homes for sale by owner have made it easier for homeowners to include their homes in the listing. For a small monthly fee, sellers can have their homes listed in the realtor’s database.

The internet has also been useful in providing information on recent home sales which can be used as reference for owners in putting price tags on their homes for sale. Most families selling their homes as FSBOs find the number of calls and appointments from these listings not overwhelming.

Cons

The current slowdown in the housing market, according to real estate experts, is not the best time for FSBOs. The market has also been more competitive and having no agents will put the seller at a disadvantage. Homeowners may not be equipped in sustaining their self-marketing efforts particularly if the sale drags on for months with no prospective buyers.

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