Just because you’ve decided to sell your home on your own, doesn’t mean you won’t need help. Even if you had the assistance of a real estate agent, it’s unlikely that you can do everything by yourself.

You will need two or three key people to assist you: your mortgage banker or lender and a real estate attorney and/or title company. Depending on where you’re located in the country, the number of professionals needed may vary. Generally speaking, east of the Mississippi it’s usually a real estate attorney that handles the contracts, escrow, hiring of a title agent and closing process. Again, generally speaking, west of the Mississippi it’s usually a title company that handles the majority of the real estate transaction and closing process: Of course, you have the right to have an attorney no matter where you’re located. You will be the leader of your team of professionals. It will be your responsibility primarily to market your house (with considerable help from ForSaleByOwner.com), find a buyer, and negotiate the terms of the sales contract.

When selling your home, we recommend that you have a trusted attorney. If you already have one, that’s great. This is the time to enlist his or her help. If not, consult with friends, family, or neighbors to refer you to a competent professional to handle the legal aspects of selling your own home. You can also use the ForSaleByOwner.com service provider database. This directory will help you find service providers in your area, including title companies and lawyers as well as any additional services you made need when selling your home. You can use this free service by going to www.ForSaleByOwner.com/provider.

Real estate attorneys/title companies can help you in preparing the sales contract once you have found a buyer. In addition, they can help you draft or revise your disclosure documents or other necessary documents pertaining to the sale of the home.

Key Factors to Consider

Before you proceed any further, there are some important factors to keep in mind when selling your home. It is imperative that you thoroughly understand these points and always keep them in mind.

1) You have decided to sell a house – NOT your home.

he first thing you must overcome is the notion that you are selling your “home sweet home.” You must put your personal feelings about the house aside. Of course, this is easier said than done. Perhaps this is the first home you have ever owned or the one where you grew up. There may be countless memories associated with the property. Of course, it is perfectly normal to have these sentimental feelings about the place that you have been living in. However, these feelings are NOT what are going to sell. It’s your house. No potential buyer is looking to purchase your home. On the contrary, they are looking for a house that they can make their own home.

Therefore, you must set aside your emotions and view your house as objectively as possible. Consider advertising as well as preparing, and presenting your house to look and feel like a house that anybody can easily move into and make their “home sweet home.”

2) Understand the marketplace

Just as with any product that a person may market and sell to the general public, e, it is critical to know what is going on in the surrounding marketplace when you are ready to sell your house. Thoroughly research your current town and state. Very importantly, consider your neighborhood and what sets it apart from the others. Keep in mind that neighborhood safety has been found to be a key buyer’s issue in selecting a new home . It is a general rule that the successful sale of any product is dependent on and directly related to the quality of the market research conducted. Real estate is no different. Speak with others who may be able to lend some insight about important factors affecting the sale of your home. Find out what their experiences have been. Also, try contacting some agents to discuss the general climate of the current market. Don’t under estimate the importance of letting family, neighbors and associates at work know that you are selling. Research tells us that as many as 30% of your leads may come from these sources.You will be astounded at all of the free information available at your fingertips if you only bother to ask!

3) Timing (planning) is everything!

One of the most important questions to ask yourself at this point is “How much time do I have to sell?” The answer to this all-important question will dictate much of your course of action, including how soon you must begin marketing your property in order to get your asking price and how aggressively you need to market the house. Timing, coupled with current market conditions, are probably the two most critical factors to consider.

The quicker you need to sell your house, the less flexible you can afford to be. After all, you may not have sufficient time to wait around for your asking price. Conversely, if you have an ample amount of time, you can sit back and wait for that perfect buyer to come along. The simple rules of supply and demand apply here. If the market is tight and demand exceeds supply, prices go up and you’re in good shape. However, if a lot of people are selling and supply exceeds demand, prices will go down and there may be some negotiating to be done.

The market works in a cyclical fashion, which means that slow periods are usually closely followed by faster sales and higher price periods. If the current market is especially slow and you are in no rush to sell, it is probably a good idea to ride it out and wait for an upswing.

4) Cleanliness is crucial

n today’s competitive real estate market, there are few things that will set a house apart from all the others like neatness and cleanliness. It is a well-established fact in the real estate world that the appearance of a well kept home adds value and enables a house to be sold quickly and at a higher price.