Beware! There's more to selling your home than putting a "For Sale" sign in your front yard! Think it through. Know the answers to these questions. 

Even if a simple sign in your yard did produce a buyer knocking on your door, how will you handle the following questions: 

Make sure you are prepared for at least the following: 

1.How does your home compare to others in your neighborhood? 

2.How did you determine the fair market value of your property? 

3.What about financing? Can you help? This scenario can be filled with potholes. Be careful! 

4.If a buyer makes an offer, who will draw up the paperwork? 

5.A buyer may question why you're not working with a REALTOR®. They may think that there's something wrong with the property or that you want too much money. 

6.Most buyers will assume that since you aren't using a real estate agent, they can take the brokerage fee right off the top of your list price. 

7.You are letting strangers into your home who have not been pre-qualified by a REALTOR® . Are you sure that they are well intentioned? Would you pick up one of these strangers on the road? 

8.Appearances can be deceiving. If someone pulls up in a fancy car with nice clothes, don't
assume they have the money to buy your home.  

9.All the paperwork needs to be in order. Virginia law requires a disclosure or disclaimer from all sellers. Do you have the proper forms for you and the buyer to sign? 

10.There are timetables for the various details within the transaction. Do you know what they are? Are you prepared to make sure they are done? 

11.Are you ready to stop what you're doing at any time to show your home? Is someone available to show it from 9AM to 9PM? 

12.Are you familiar with advertising strategies to obtain the most interested buyers for your home? 

13.Do you know how to stage your home for sale? 

14.How can you get feedback from the buyers who did not make an offer on your home without sounding like you"re desperate for a sale? How would you know what the buyer's objections were so that you could address them? 

15.Can you be impartial when you need to be? 

If you are comfortable with your knowledge of the above, then think about some other important things to be aware of. Here are some: 

1.What is the difference between a pre-qualification and a pre-approval? 

2.Do the buyers need to sell their home in order to buy yours? Be careful. They may not tell you. You'll need to research this one carefully. 

3.Do you know enough "legalese" so that you won't be bound to an offer if a better one comes in later? 

4.Are you comfortable with your knowledge of all of the state and federal forms that you must provide to the buyer? 

5.Do you know the "best way" to show your home?  

6.Do you have a fact sheet available for your home? Are you "protected legally" if you make a
mistake? 

Selling your home is one of the most important financial transactions you will make in your life. Don't take risks. Selling your home is nothing like selling a car. Every home is different, and every homebuyer wants to offer you as little as possible. How do you determine the real market value? 

Almost all homes are sold using a real estate agent. As top real estate professionals, it is our job to help you negotiate with all those buyers who are looking for a bargain. Not to mention preparing your home for sale, marketing it, and guiding you through the complex paperwork and pitfalls of closing. Make sure you are really ready to handle all of this before pounding that sign into your front yard. Errors can be extremely costly. 

Remember: Buyers want to offer you as close to nothing as possible! While that "For Sale By Owner" sign might sound like a good idea, it usually means a different thing to buyers: "Try to steal this one." 

If you're really certin that you're ready to take on the daunting task of selling your own home, at least let us give you a sense of its true market value. Tell us a bit about your home, and we'll do a quick Comparative Market Analysis and let you know what we feel it is worth. We can also show you how we would market your property. It's free, with no strings attached. Fill out this form and we'll get back to you in a jiffy. Here it is...