is it best to sell our house by owner or get an agent?
463507
If you live in an area where homes typically sell quickly and easy, you might want to try it for a short period of time yourself. But, agents typically bring a lot to the table in the form of advertising, market knowledge, contractual expertise, just to mention a few. It is nice to have someone show your home, complete a contract, handle closing info and work with closing attorney, and take care of things like termite letter, etc. All while you go about your everyday business! My opinion is to find an agent you feel comfortable calling on Sunday at 8 pm! Interview several and use your best instincts.
32077
Remember you only make money when you BUY a property, not when you sell it.  That means that you have to "make" your money when you buy the house.  Make sure you have enough equity in the house upfront to:\n\n1.  Repair the house for sale.  This includes all remodeling, landscaping, etc.\n2.  Carry the costs of ownership of the house while the repairs are happening.  If you take 45 days to repair the house, make sure you have 2 months worth of mortgage payments onhand.  This is called "carrying costs"\n3.  Pay the real estate agents.  Typically you will need to pay between 4-6% of your selling price in commissions to sell the house, depending on your area.  If you don't use a realtor, you can save that fee, but you might not get your property sold in a timely fashion and may eventually get less money for the house.\n4.  Cover the capital gains tax.  Remember, short term flips are taxed at 25% federal and (in CA) 9% state.  Make sure you get sound tax advice before you spend your profits.\n\nA good rule of thumb is to find out what the comps are like in the area, offer 70-80% of the comp value (this is CA, by the way .. if you aren't in a "hot" market, like CA, HI, FL, NY, etc, then offer 50-60%).  This should give you enough room to carry the loan, rehab the house and, to quote The Steve Miller Band, "Take the money and run!"
737772
It depends. If your relatives are willing to pay a fair market value and there are no Realtors involved, then it's a good deal. It will save you money on closing costs. Also, you will avoid the process of having your property fot months on the market, showing the house and having your Realtor to do open houses. In most cases, finding an outside party means hiring an agent, which will cost you 5-6% of the selling price of the house.
218732
The first thing you need to do is talk to them.  Let them know of your plans and give them the option of either buying the home themselves or running the risk of eviction.  Give them options.  Then when you do sell the home, let the new buyers know that you have tenants and give them the option to either keep or get rid of them.  You have to keep open communications with all parties right now.  Also, when you let your tenants know that you are selling, let them also know that people will be coming in to see the house and what your expectations of them are.  Good luck.
301145
go on the national  association of Realtors website and look at the statistics for fsbo sales.  Statistically fsbos's sell for 13% less that their asking price!!!!!!    Show your client the numbers. They are also more likely to get sued by buyers.  Look into this.  lead paint issues, sellers disclosures and so on....   You can bring them more qualified buyers  than they can.  ads in papers sell less than 2% of homes
871977
Unless your buyers believe in "Feng Shui".Since you have mention that your house is in beautifully conditioned,don't worry about others which are also for sales,must have confident in your house,unless you are selling way above market price.Buyers will pay your price,if they feel your house worth it.\n\nJust don't show that you are desperately looking for a buyer.
1175483
yes you can, discuss it with whatever real estate broker has the listing for your property or hire your own broker to deal with them
1112515
First put up a sign.  For Sale by Owner using start by putting up a sign to let people know that you are selling your home.  If you lived in California, I would have given you a free sign.\n\nSharon 951-272-1027
965300
It could be, but it depends on the market where you are and how much you pay for it initially.  I bought a house 8 years ago for $230,000 and sold it for $430,000 7 years later.  The market was really a seller's market (about 18 months ago) and I had done a few upgrades (new windows, added a deck, new carpeting, etc.).
744917
It all depends on the market value of the property. I see properties all the time listed 10-15% over market. In a situation like this I would not even make an offer because it shows the owner is unreasonable. If the asking price near market value I would offer 5-10% lower. If the asking price is way below then I would offer 1-3% lower and if they insist on full price then I would pay full price.\nIn your situation I would negotiate for a lower price. If other properties have taken a year to sell then obviously the market is softening so I would be a little cautious in paying the full asking price.
1008501
It is alsways best for a buyer to get an agent.  They can help you with leases also.  They are no cost to you, the buyer, and well worth it.  We can guide you through the process and only work for you, where as a listing agent will work for the seller and keep their best interest in mind.  If you would like a referral, feel free to email me and I can see what I can do.\n\nPrestige_buyers@yahoo.com
1174527
Why would be going through a real estate agency be too expensive?  As a buyer, you pay NO COSTS for the services, and have full representation.  The prices you see are not for the agency price, that is the market price - the seller pays the agency from the proceeds of the property when it has closed.\n\nIf you are low on funds, try looking in less popular (and less expensive) areas.  Be open minded as to what will and will not work for your business.  An agent can help you narrow those choices down as well. You may be able to find motivated sellers who would accept less than asking price, willing to remodel to suit for free, and a vast array of other negotiation topics an agent could help you with, including owner financing/lease options.\n\nBest of luck to you!
578182
There's a long list, but here are a few:\n\nThe average sale price is higher for houses sold by agents than by Owners.\n\nOwners don't have the experience and knowledge of how to properly market, show, negotiate, and close a property.\n\nMost buyers are looking for months prior to buying a home. The professional has already been marketing to those buyers prior to you wanting to sell, and therefore has a ready pool of buyers for your home.\n\nMost buyers do not buy the home that they see advertised. Agents have more than one home to sell, and can direct those buyers to your home. You have only one to sell, therefore most buyers coming to look at your home will end up buying something else.\n\nMost buyers need to sell before they can buy. An agent can help the buyer to sell so they can buy your house. Can you do this?\n\nAn agent has a ready list of people ready to help if there are problems-- specialty mortgage lenders, contractors, inspectors, attorneys, closing agents, etc. Who do you have ready?\n\nAgents know what to say, but particularly what NOT to say to prospective buyers. One little mistake by you could end up in a lawsuit for discrimination, or misrepresentation. At best, the buyer will just walk.
763571
When a relationship is created between the purchaser and the real estate agent, the agent must work in the buyer client's best interest at all times, thereby providing purchasers with the same level of representation traditionally given only to the seller. Here are just a few of the benefits you will receive from having your own personal representative when seeking to purchase property:\n\n   1. Confidentiality. The agent you hire to represent you will not disclose confidential information regarding motivation, price and terms, or anything else of a personal nature to the seller or seller's agent without your permission to do so.\n   2. Loyalty. The buyer's agent must work in the buyer's best interest at all times, even if it is not in the agent's personal best interest to do so. This means that the agent will virtually do for you what they would do for themselves in the transaction.\n   3. Full disclosure. The agent you hire to represent you will fully disclose any information gained from the seller or the seller's agent that could be used by you in the transaction. In addition, the buyer's agent will undertake a level of diligence and discovery that will give you the necessary information to make an informed decision as to the property you wish to purchase.\n   4. The buyer's agent will search for all available properties for sale by owner, unlisted properties, new construction, foreclosures, and others and will not limit their showings to properties they have listed. A listing agent's job is to move the inventory of their seller clients. A buyer's agent's job is to locate satisfactory properties for their client. Any limitations on this search will be documented in the buyer agency agreement.\n   5. As the buyer's agent goes through the properties with you, they will assist you with analyzing the properties and determining their strengths and weaknesses, allowing you to make informed comparisons. A lifestyle analysis will be performed to determine whether or not the property would suit your particular needs.\n   6. The agent you hire to represent you in the transaction will do a market analysis on the chosen property and will provide you with an offering range for that particular property. They will then set a negotiating strategy for you to assist you in acquiring the property at the lowest price and best terms possible for your situation.\n   7. The buyer's agent will complete an offer to purchase that is "buyer friendly" and contains the contingencies and protective clauses you need\n\nThese are just a few of the benefits received from having your own personal buyer agent when purchasing. Considering that the majority of buyer agents are paid through the transaction or by the seller's agent, doesn't it just make good sense that you have the representation you deserve?\n\nWhy Should I Be Sure My Buyer Agent Is A Certified Buyer Representative?\nA recent survey completed by the National Association of Realtors shows that over 40% of the buyers are now represented in the real estate transaction. In some states, the figure is over 80%. Considering the rapid growth of buyer agency, it is imperative that a buyer find an agent who has been trained to professionally represent them in the transaction.\n\nThat, specifically, is the reason the certification mark CBR® Certified Buyer Representative was created. Issued in 1993 by the US Patent and Trademark Office, this mark allows consumers to identify a buyer agent who has been trained and who possesses the skills necessary to represent purchasers in a legal, ethical, and non-adversarial fashion.\n\nThose agents who have acquired this designation have demonstrated their commitment to full client level service to the buyer. They are armed with forms, checklists, and disclosure documents to perform a level of diligence in the real estate transaction that is unparalleled in the industry.\n\nWhen deciding on an agen
292643
In the current market (most areas have seen a slight but noticable decrease in home sales) I would go with a realtor. Unless you have the time/experience/resources that a realtor has at their disposal available to you they will have much better luck finding a buyer. \n\nIn this market the task is finding a buyer. Last year the task was simply picking the offer and closing on the house. \n\nGood luck
576403
Definitely get an attorney as there is a ton of paperwork, much of which will make no sense at all (earnest money, title insurance, inspections, closing costs, blah blah blah).\n\nCheck out www.zillow.com regarding pricing of the house. It is a great website. Just type in the address of the property you are interested in and there is a ton of information available (for most cities anyway).\n\nShop around for the best mortgage rate. It probably doesn't really matter which one you choose, just get a good rate. Watch out for the creative financing schemes available these days ... ARM's, reverse mortgages, etc are all time bombs. Beware!\n\nAlso, consider using an agent, because the seller pays the commission. If you aren't using an agent, use that as a bargaining chip with the seller and get the agent's commission knocked off of the price! Good luck!
209052
A real estate agent can find the owners of any property including vacant ones with just the address of the property.  Once you have the owners address, you can send them a letter stating you are interested in the property and are willing to pay off all taxes and liens (if its worth it of course)\n\nGood Luck!