If you are not under any time obligation in selling your house you may want to try "For Sale By Owner." It can be rewarding as well as frustrating, but for sure it will be an adventure. I will be happy to discuss the pros and cons and give you some helpful tips. We even have a one hour course created to assist "For Sale By Owners". We at Century21MVP see our clients as life-time customers; we are not threathened by clients who are able to successfully transact real estate contracts themselves.  We rejoice with your success.  We are proud to be coaches. We just believe, that if we can teach you how to effectively sell your home, you might trust us to represent you in the buying process.  Most folks buy or sell their home every five years, so we would like to be a part of your long range real estate goals.  We would also love to have the opportunity to teach you about profittable real estate investing.

A little secret I found out before ever becoming an agent.  Good realtors pay for themselves and great ones bless your life, year after year: by steering you to the right purchases, getting you the must value in terms of money, appreciation, construction and untold entangibles in views, amenties in homes and cabins etc.  I will rejoice with you if you are able to sell your own home.  Go for it...  and if you need us we are here to cheer you on, consult, educate and represent you when needed.

So what do you need to do to sell your home?

You will want to:

• Complete an extensive research of local market conditions, including:
  • the listing and selling price of all houses in your area for the last six months,
  • the listing price of houses currently on the market, and
  • the listing prices of houses that were on the market but did not sell.
    Tips: Begin your research on the Internet. You can follow-up by visiting the county tax records office to determine the selling prices of houses. 

• Put together a marketing plan.
  • How will you market your house to Realtors? Most buyers use a Realtor, so marketing to Realtors is probably essential. I would suggest that you send a letter and sales flyer to all Realtors within a 30 mile radius.
  • How much money can you afford to devote to advertising? Call the local newspapers to determine how much it will cost for advertisements. You'll want to run daily and Sunday ads in the newspapers.
  • Create some sales flyers? Buyers expect fact sheets to take with them when they drive-by or tour a house for sale, give them something to take with them.  We will discuss this furthur in our "FSBO" course.
  • Think about where you could place signage? In addition to your front yard, are there areas leading in to your neighborhood where signage would be appropriate?
  • Consider if there is a way that potential buyers can find information about your house on the Internet? You'll want potential buyers who begin their house shopping on the Internet to find your house. It is possible to build a website to help sell your house. Over 70% of homebuyers start the searching process on the internet. 
  • Plan who will take inquiry calls and schedule appointments? You'll want someone to be available to answer inquiry calls and schedule appointments. Be sure to schedule showings as quickly as possible - even the same day.  Timing seems to be everything with real estate.  You may need to coach your family in their telephone skills.
    Tips: Ask newspapers for a discounted advertising rate for multiple placements. Be sure to check with local officials to determine if there are any restrictions on where you place signs. You want to be a good neighbor.
    " Pre-qualify buyers before showing your house. We will really explain this in the "FSBO" one hour course.

• Confirm that the potential buyer has pre-qualified for a mortgage loan.
  • If the buyer is buying with cash, confirm that they have the necessary resources. If they are getting a loan, you really need to know that they qualify. This can be a real source of frustration if not done properly.  You will end up wasting time and energy, thinking you have sold your house only to find it back on the market.   
  • If the purchase is contingent on the buyer selling their own house, confirm that the buyer's house is on the market. (You may also want to determine how long the buyer's house has been on the market.)  We will cover the financial aspects of qualifying your buyers in the "FSBO" course.  This may the most challenging aspect of selling a house yourself.  But you can do it.

• Negotiations, Contracts and Closings
  • You need to prepare to negotiate the contract
  • Find out what the legal responsibilities of the seller are in your area?
  • Decide upfront who will write the contract.  You may feel must comfortable hiring an attorney?  Go ahead and check on the attorney's fees?
    Tips: In addition to the sales contract, in the State of Tennessee you'll need to complete a Seller's Disclosure and a Lead Based Paint Disclosure.  We can show you those at the "FSBO" course.  May your adventure be successful!