Before you list your home for sale, consider selling it yourself. More and more people are finding that the process of selling their own homes is not complicated and that they enjoy showing the home themselves.

“Most people are reluctant to sell their own home because they are afraid of the paperwork,” said Gary Bisha with For Sale By Owner Magazine. “Fact is, the title company and the mortgage company do all the heavy lifting in a real estate transaction. The key is finding good FSBO-friendly companies to help you,” said Bisha.

Gary Bisha and Mike Greiner founded For Sale By Owner Magazine in 1995. They specialize in helping homeowners market their properties to prospective buyers. “You don’t get to see all the homes available on the market if you’re only looking at the MLS,” said Mike Greiner. “Hundreds of Houston homes are listed in For Sale By Owner Magazine each month. They are priced lower because the owners don’t have to pay large real estate commissions. They are proud of their homes and pass a portion of the commission savings on to the buyer,” said Greiner.

Greiner and Bisha conduct seminars each month to help prospective sellers understand the process of selling the home.

“Pricing the home is the most important part of the sales process,” said Mike Greiner. “Overpriced homes just don’t sell in the competitive Houston market,” warns Greiner. Greiner recommends a comparative market analysis that determines the selling price of similar houses in the area and the listing price of similar homes on the market. He also recommends an appraisal to determine the real market value of the home. “Don’t price it too low and leave money on the table,” says Greiner.

Marketing the home is also a big topic of discussion in For Sale By Owner seminars. “Many sellers are frustrated by a lack of marketing by real estate agents. They like the option of placing their own ads in newspapers, local publications, web sites like www.forsalebyowner.com and magazines like For Sale By Owner,” said Gary Bisha.

Sellers also have access to our team of professionals to help them sell the home. Key professionals include the title company, mortgage company, appraiser, insurance providers and inspectors. “Once you have your team in place, all you have to do is show the home and sign the papers,” said Gary Bisha.

And what if a seller makes a mistake on the paperwork? Gary Bisha says, “you could lose your real estate license. However, the title company will catch any mistakes in the contract or related documents and correct them along the way.”

For Sale By Owner Magazine: 713-683-0050

Web links:
www.forsalebyowner.com
www.texasfsbo.com

Have a question about selling your own home? Email Gary Bisha by clicking here.