Does anyone recommend selling a house FSBO? or should I bite the
Bullet and use a Real Estate Agent? How about those Brokerage Houses
that sell your house for a set fee?

Work From Home... I Do!
http://www.s4fs.com/cgi-bin/team.cgi...35&action=show

"alkitim" wrote...
Does anyone recommend selling a house FSBO? or should I bite the
Bullet and use a Real Estate Agent?

I've done both. It primarily depends on the market and your willingness to do
the work. In a "hot" sellers' market, you MIGHT come out ahead in a FSBO.
However, if you don't know the market and the pitfalls, you could lose a lot!

In article oxJfc.150926$K91.396215@attbi_s02,
"John R Weiss" wrote:

Does anyone recommend selling a house FSBO? or should I bite the
Bullet and use a Real Estate Agent?

by in large, I'm a DIY'er, but in Real Estate I have gone with an agent
most of the times.
If you do FSBO, the buyer usually wants the 6% knocked off the price so
you end up doing a lot of work for nothing.
I suggest interviewing a few agents and pick the one with the most
enthusiasm and creative ideas. and don't sign up for more than 3 months.
also add their commission to your price. make 'em work for it.
and do spruce up the front of the building for that " first Impression"
hey, get a book on how to "help" sell it fast. but don't be in a hurry.
and good luck!
g
"If I can not dance, I want no part in your revolution." Emma Goldman

I am selling our home FSBO right now. Make sure you price it correctly
and that is the key. A home that is priced right will sell within 30
days. Of course, if you select an agent to represent you, they will
try and push the limit on your home price. This is ok if you are
patient. It's also good because you have to pay them 6% to list it. As
soon as I put the FSBO sign out, I got at least 8 calls from local
agents that week asking if they could show my house to someone and
what percent I would give. 3% is standard. You will have to sign an
authorization to show (do it for 30 days). It doesn't cost you
anything unless they sell it and if you sell it on your own you are
not obligated to pay them anything unless you sell to one of their
clients.

Get some serious curb-side appeal with three things: neatly manicured
lawn, paint, and plant some yellow flowers out front. It works.

Once you get them inside be 100% honest about everything they ask.
Make sure that place is spotless, all blinds open and all lights on.
Have a vase of fresh cut flowers on the tables. Take a mixture of
vanilla and cinnamon (tblspoon of each) and bake at 350 in some foil.
The house will smell great. Put some easy listening on the radio/cd
player. Have an info sheet with all the measurements, any improvements
you have made, what appliances are included and their age. If the
furnace, AC or water heater are more than 8 years old be prepared to
offer a 1 year home warranty (usually about $400). Make sure you have
a lead based paint disclosure and maybe a meth disclosure if required.
Might want to check and see if other disclosures are required in your
area.

There are some websites out there that will give free home value
estimates. Normally a bunch of local realtors will call you with the
estimates and try to get you to list with them. Take the numbers and
thank them for their time. Take the low number in the range and
whatever number you came up with and find a comfortable spot in
between there. Put the sign out for a couple weeks then list it in the
paper for 30 days. If you price it right, it will sell. Buyers are
scrambling to buy right this minute because rates are climbing back
up. Take advantage of the sellers market!


(alkitim) wrote in message om...
Does anyone recommend selling a house FSBO? or should I bite the
Bullet and use a Real Estate Agent? How about those Brokerage Houses
that sell your house for a set fee?

Work From Home... I Do!
http://www.s4fs.com/cgi-bin/team.cgi...35&action=show

You have gotten some good advice. Remember that any agreements about the sale
of real property must be in writing so be sure and go to your local office
supply store and look for sales agreement forms. Decide in advance what you
plan to leave in the house and be sure to put that in writing too if you get
lucky.

Doesn't hurt to print up flyers with info and put in an old mail box or
something in your front yard so curiousity seekers can find out about the
house. I always just ran ads in the Sat-Sun papers and had open house on Sun
afternoons. Know some people who timd their open houses when other people in
neighborhood were having them so they could take advantage of the people being
in the neighborhood.

On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 04:45:08 GMT, "John R Weiss"
wrote:

"alkitim" wrote...
Does anyone recommend selling a house FSBO? or should I bite the
Bullet and use a Real Estate Agent?

I've done both. It primarily depends on the market and your willingness to do
the work. In a "hot" sellers' market, you MIGHT come out ahead in a FSBO.
However, if you don't know the market and the pitfalls, you could lose a lot!

yeah, what he said. I learned from experience.

On 15 Apr 2004 21:12:54 -0700, someone wrote:

Does anyone recommend selling a house FSBO?

I have done it both ways. One thing I notice - on the FSBOs,
sometimes there is a hesitancy in actually getting them to sign on the
line. Not "the closing" where title passes, but "closing the deal".
It seems to be helpful to have some 3rd party pushing the buyer and
handing him the forms, and as a go-between in negotiations.

Just my perception. Not insurmountable, as I said I've done it both
ways. But I have noticed it. The buyer, esp. if a newbie, seems so
much more comfortable if there is "someone else" there to assure them
they are doing the right thing.

Of course if you are in one of those areas where people fall over each
other to offer more than asking price onn the first day, you would not
see it that way. But those areas are the exception, not the rule.

-v.

On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 07:41:27 -0700, someone wrote:


If you do FSBO, the buyer usually wants the 6% knocked off the price so
you end up doing a lot of work for nothing.

This is one of the few times I fully agree with "cyber".

-v.