The Benefits of a For Sale By Owner - FSBO - Home Sale

Obviously, one of the most apparent FSBO benefits, at least
to many home owners, is that the act of sticking that 'For
Sale By Owner' sign in their front yard says that they
might save some money and have some control over the
selling of their home. However, what are some of the other
benefits of an FSBO home sale, and how do you go about
doing it.

While not a necessarily a 'benefit', one of the first
things to remember when contemplating an FSBO home sale is
that no matter where you are, it can seem somewhat daunting
and complicated. Adding to the complications is the fact
that not only are there all kinds of legal forms required
(and if you have ever bought a home you know what I mean),
but that requirements may vary state by state. A
California 'for sale by owner' home sale might be be
different from a Wisconsin FSBO transaction.

If taking the 'for sale by owner' route is so complicated
and messy, why am I including this comment in an article
for someone who is contemplating putting up their home in a
'for sale by owner' offering?

Let's talk about those benefits.

1. The FSBO Kit - There are many companies which offer
what can be called an FSBO kit of one kind or another.
Depending on the company, this kit will provide the
homeowner with the FSBO legal forms, and hopefully some
guidance on preparation and filing of the 'for sale by
owner' documents. These kits may range from simply the
basic or most common forms needed with some instructions on
how to fill them out and where to file them, to very
complete FSBO kits which include ALL the legal forms
needed, instructions on how to fill them out, where to file
them, instructions on how to prepare your home for sale,
how to advertise your home for sale effectively, and, in
some cases, contact with a listing service which will put
the home out in front of prospective buyers.

2. Growing Public Acceptance of the Process - Not too many
years ago, most people would have been wary of a home with
an FSBO sign in the front yard. However, since more and
more people have opted in for this type of home sale, not
only are many more people actually looking for those signs,
but an entire support industry seems to have sprung up to
assist the homeowner who has decided to try the 'for sale
by owner' route. Newspapers offer advertising packages and
guidance, for example, and even some realtors have jumped
on the bandwagon by offering assistance and guidance to the
homeowner - for a fee, of course.

3. Control Over The Home Sale Process - I hinted at this
earlier in the opening paragraph. Many people just want to
have some control over the process and not feel a pawn in
the hands of the real estate agent. Additionally, some
people want to be involved in showing the house, explaining
its values and even such simple things as 'how nice the
next door neighbor is' to prospective buyers. Some people
feel that this more personal approach may do more to sell
the house than a realtor's remark about how the owner
mentioned that it was a nice neighborhood to live in.

4. Savings - Actually, I do not necessarily consider
savings to be the main reason that ALL people choose to go
with an FSBO home sale. Many of us simply believe that we
don't mind paying if we know what we are paying for. When
that realtor walks off with a large commission, we often
wonder what he or she did to earn it. While 'for sale by
owner' will certainly very often offer savings, ranging
from small to large amounts, many of us are just happy to
know where our money is going. While there is almost no
concrete way to measure how much money is actually saved in
an FSBO home sale, there will almost always be some
savings, if the process is done correctly and efficiently.

For most homeowners, and buyers as far as that goes, the
FSBO home sale can be a rewarding experience if done
properly. If you are not an experienced home seller,
probably the best way to be successful is to do your
homework and get your hands on the best FSBO kit you can
find.

----------------------------------------------------
Donovan Baldwin is a freelance writer living in Central
Texas. He is a University of West Florida alumnus with a
BA in Accounting, and is a member of Mensa. He has a
webpage where you can learn more about one FSBO kit at
http://legal-forms-supermarket.com/about/for_sale_by_owner.h
tml .