For sale by owner

However, it will take some work on your part. You will be doing a lot of things that a real estate agent might normally do. Just follow the FindGreatRealty.com step-by-step guide below, and you'll not only save lots of money, but we'll make the process as effortless as possible.

It's the money! You save thousands of dollars not paying a 6% or 7% commission. For example, if your home sells for $250,000, you will save $15,000 to $17,500 in commissions.

Sell it faster. Because you are not paying an outrageous commission, you can afford to price your home more aggressively. The lower the price, the faster it sells. You will still walk away with thousands in savings, but you'll just be doing it faster.

It's so easy. Despite what a real estate broker may say, selling a house is not rocket science. They know that, and soon you will too. Just follow the simple steps below. And, if you have any questions, call us and one of our representatives will try to answer any questions you may have about the home selling process.

You are not alone - FindGreatRealty.com will help you every step of the way. We are one of the largest and fastest growing real estate service companies in America. In fact, our web site is one of the top-five most visited real estate sites in America. Thousands of eager buyers visit us everyday. Perhaps one of them is looking for a home just like yours. For Sale By Owner

Over the past five years, we have helped thousands of people sell their homes and save millions of dollars. So let's get started.

Presentation is everything! Buyers are attracted to clean, spacious and attractive houses. Your goal is to dazzle buyers. Brighten-up the place and remove all clutter from counter tops, tables and rooms. Scrub-down your house from top to bottom. Make it sparkle. Simple aesthetic improvements such as trimming trees, planting flowers, fixing squeaking steps, broken tiles, shampooing rugs and even re-painting a faded bedroom will greatly enhance the appeal of your house. Also, make sure your house smells good. That's right, clean out the cat box and light mildly scented candles.

Invite a neighbor over to walk through your house like a buyer would. Get their opinion on how it "shows." The stuffed donkey in the family room may have to go to your in-laws for a while. For Sale By Owner

Do not over price your home. Over-pricing your home reduces buyer interest, makes competing homes look like better values, and can lead to mortgage rejections once the appraisal is in. Over-pricing a home is the single biggest factor why many "for sale by owners" don't sell their homes quickly, or at all. Remember: the market dictates the price (not what you think it should be worth).

One of the best ways to correctly price your house is to find out how much other homes, similar to yours, recently sold for in your neighborhood. Talk to sellers, buyers and check out the real estate listings in your local newspaper.

Typically, if you set your price 5 percent to 10 percent above the market price, you are likely to end up with an offer close to your home's true value. Also, you may try calculating the cost per square foot of your home compared to houses already on the market in your area (divide list price by square footage of livable space). If your house has more features or other desirable qualities, you may want to set a slightly higher price.

The easiest way to accurately price your home is to contact your local appraiser.

Finally, set your price just under a whole number, such as $169,900 rather than $170,000.

Even though it's an additional expense, it may be wise to hire a lawyer who will protect your interests throughout the entire transaction. An experienced real estate lawyer can help you evaluate complicated offers (those with a variety of conditions), act as an escrow agent to hold the down payment, evaluate complex mortgages and/or leases with options to buy, review contracts and handle your closing. They can also tell you what things, by law, you must disclose to buyers prior to a sale and can also help you avoid inadvertently decimating against any potential buyers. For Sale By Owner

In some areas, title companies will handle all aspects of the transaction and have in-house legal departments that can assist you with legal issues that may arise.

Unless you've done a number of real estate transactions before, having a lawyer at your side provides peace-of-mind. You know you've got someone looking out for your interests, not just the buyers.

FindGreatRealty.com provides extensive exposure because over 700,000 unique visitors come to the web site each month (that's Internet-speak for new people). In fact, FindGreatRealty.com is one of the top-five most visited real estate web sites in the U.S. getting literally millions of "hits" a year (more Internet-speak for all people who visit our site). We spend tens of thousands of dollars a month to assure that is prominently placed on Internet search engines so buyers can easily find our site and your home.

If you are in a market where FindGreatRealty.com has a mass-distributed magazine, your exposure will be even greater because they can be found at thousands of locations frequented by buyers that include grocery stores, shopping centers, convenience stores and restaurants (the magazine is in over 40 markets nationwide).

While FindGreatRealty.com allows you a 1,000 word description of your house (try to afford that in a newspaper ad), your advertising copy should be thorough yet short, simple and to-the-point. Long, flowery prose will not make your house sound more appealing. It will simply make it harder for the buyer to read. Make sure to provide the critical facts buyers are looking for such as number of bathrooms, a re-modeled kitchen, etc.

Most buyers quickly scan ads, so it is important that your property stands out. For example, you may want to add a theme-line such as "Priced below market" or "Great schools." Stay away from industry jargon and use language that makes buyers comfortable. Survey our web site and see how others have written their ads. You will quickly see which are "buyer friendly." Copy their approach for your ad.

If you are taking a photo of your home, be sure that the yard/driveway is uncluttered. Remove bikes, garbage cans and parked cars. The same applies for interior shots. People are looking to buy your house, not your possessions. Think of furniture as props and the room a stage. Move things around if you have to. Also, takes lots of photos. Film is cheap. The more you shoot, the better the odds are that you'll get a few really go shots.

Lawn signs are important marketing tools. They attract attention to your home. Professionally-produced signs (like the ones we can send to you) telegraph to buyers a "quality" image of your home. Directional signs also help drive buyers to your property, especially if you do not live on a busy street.

Open houses are sometimes a good way to attract buyers to your property. Typically, real estate agents conduct open houses for two reasons; 1. Clients expect them 2. They are a good way to attract buyers, not just for the open house but for all houses for sale in the realtor's area (yes, your competition). The fact is that very few houses sell due to open houses alone. For Sale By Owner

It is a good idea to create an information sheet (with a photo) about your home to give potential buyers. Consider printing copies of your ad from FindGreatRealty.com to give to people who visit your home.

The MLS or Multiple Listing Service can also help market your home, particularly to real estate agents who may know of buyers seeking a property like yours. The MLS is a directory used by real estate agents to announce to other agents that they have a home for sale. In many markets, FindGreatRealty.com can put your house on the MLS (for an additional fee). However, if a real estate agent finds you a buyer after seeing your home on the MLS, you must usually pay that agent a 2.5% to 3% commission (the law states that all commissions are negotiable, however).

As every salesman knows, to be effective you have to really know your product. And who knows your home better than you? Certainly not a real estate agent, who, in all likelihood, has spent only a few moments in your house before showing it to prospective buyers.

Sell your neighborhood as well as your house. Show enthusiasm, but don't get caught-up talking too much about how "your daughter spent the best years of her life in this very room."

When a buyer makes an offer (this is often presented to you directly from the buyer or through their lawyer), you should consult with your attorney. Buyers and sellers have an Attorney Review Period, which is usually three days, to cancel or amend the offer. The offer becomes a contract at the end of the Attorney Review Period, and is binding. Offers can be complicated and contain special clauses that favor the buyer.

Purchase price isn't everything. Carefully consider the purchase contract's other terms and conditions. Too many contingencies can leave loopholes and cause a deal to collapse. Especially avoid contingencies that favor the buyer, such as linking the escrow closing date to the buyer's sale of their current home. If the buyer insists on such terms, include a so-called kick-out clause in the contract that will allow you to consider other offers if the buyer isn't able to sell within a certain period of time.

Is the buyer pre-approved? How much of a loan is the buyer seeking? Unless you are in an active market, lenders tend to shy away from underwriting a deal in which the purchase price is higher than the nearest comparable sale and the buyer is putting less than 10% down. If this is the case, your buyer may not be able to obtain financing.

How you judge an offer also can depend on market conditions. If the market is slow, you may feel vulnerable, especially if circumstances are pressing you to sell. Make sure any offer you accept does not keep you in escrow longer than 30 days. In a hot market where multiple offers are likely, be wary of countering more than one offer at a time (you could end up in legal trouble if two buyers both accept your counter offer). Also be wary of offers that promise more money but contain poor contract terms (long escrow, multiple contingencies, etc.).

If you feel the offer is insufficient, make a counter offer. Rarely is a first offer the buyer's absolute highest price they are willing to pay. Negotiating is part of the home selling process. For Sale By Owner

All standard real estate contracts are going to give the buyer the right to inspect your property - so be prepared. Under a general inspection you are obligated to make major repairs to appliances, pluming, septic, electrical and heating systems - or the buyer may cancel the offer. The inspection will also include your property's roof, as well as a termite inspection (in some states, sellers must provide proof that the home is termite free).

If you are concerned about how your home will fair when inspected, you may want to visit your local inspector. They can conduct an inspection for you before a potential buyer has one done. This way, you can address the problems before a buyer stumbles upon them.

Once the inspections are complete, the buyer makes an application to a mortgage lender.

The mortgage lender will order an appraisal of your property to make sure they are not paying more than the house is worth. They may also order a surveyor to make sure that the property boundaries are properly laid out. They will also order a title search to determine if there are any liens against your property. These tasks are all the responsibility of the buyer and/or their attorney.

At this point too, the mortgage company will issue a commitment. Again, the buyer (and their attorney) must complete all conditions listed on the mortgage commitment.

Prior to closing, you should notify your lender that you will be paying off your mortgage. After a closing date has been agreed to, you should contact your utility providers and advise them of your final billing date.

The day of the closing, the buyer will do a "walk through" of the property to make sure all agreed repairs are completed and that the home is in the same condition as when the buyer made their offer. If problems arise that this point, the closing can still take place with funds held in escrow to remedy the problem.

Closings usually occur 30 - 45 days after you have signed the sales contract. Depending on what state you reside in, you may close with an attorney, or with a title company. At the closing, all monies will be collected, any existing loans or leans will be paid, the deed will be transferred, and insurance will be issued insuring a free and clear title. The home seller will receive the proceeds of their home in one to two business days after the closing.

This step-by-step guide is a general overview of the home selling process. Each state has slightly different laws and customs as they relate to the transaction process.

Selling a home yourself can be time consuming, but the financial rewards can be tremendous. With help from FindGreatRealty.com, we try to make the process as easy as possible.