Set your asking price based on the selling prices of similar homes in your neighborhood. ___

Estimate how much cash you will get from the sale after the mortgage and other bills are paid. ___

Decide if improvements are needed to get your asking price. ___

Make improvements that are justified by an increase in the sales price of your home. ___

Prepare the Exterior of your home for viewing by prospective buyers. ___

Prepare the Interior of your home for viewing. ___

Sell
Get a set of real estate sales contracts and disclosure forms (OfficeMax, Office Depot, Staples, or from our set of Forms & Contracts. You can now download the For Sale by Owner Kit to your computer). ___

Fill out a blank sales contract and a set of disclosure forms, and make several copies (if a Buyer agrees to your price you want to be ready to get his signature). ___

Consider a Seller's Home Warranty, a form of insurance against damages to your home or other real estate while it is up for sale. ___

Consider a professional inspection; one way to find out what a buyer's inspector will say about your home. An alternative is a professional appraiser who in addition to helping you set a price can alert you to potential problems with the
structure. ___

Arrange for a third party to hold deposits or down payments you receive from prospective buyers. A neighbor will do, but attorneys who do a lot of real estate work will often perform this "escrow" function for a nominal fee (in expectation of the larger "closing" fee). ___

Designate the days your home will be available for viewing by prospective buyers (the weekend plus one other day so you can realistically have the house looking its best for prospective buyers.). ___

Advertise
Internet Advertising is becoming a must. Free ads are available but consider our $26.95 Photo Tour with up to 10 pictures plus help in writing an eye-catching ad. ___

80% of homes are purchased by people who already live or work in the area so write an ad for the real estate section of your local newspaper's weekend edition. Include the web address of your internet ad. ___

Compose an 8 1/2 x 11 inch real estate fact sheet / flyer, that describes your home, the location, the price and how to reach you. Make about 200 copies. ___

Make or purchase a large "For Sale By Owner" sign and place it in your front yard. ___

Place a dozen 8 1/2 x 11 inch fact sheets in a transparent envelope or large zip-loc bag and attach to your mailbox or your "For Sale By Owner" yard-sign. ___

In a hurry to sell ? Reach buyers who use real estate agents by getting your home in the Realtors Multiple Listing Service

Plan and execute an "Open House" for prospective buyers. ___

Post your fact-sheet / flyers on neighborhood bulletin boards; distribute in shopping center parking lots. ___

Buyer qualification: learn how to tell if a prospective buyer can afford your home. ___

Negotiate with all serious Buyers ___

Get Buyer's signature on a contract, give him or her a set of disclosure forms, and collect an "earnest money deposit" or "binder." ___

Arrange to be home when Buyer's inspector and appraiser come to examine your home. Entertain, smile, schmooze!! ___

Select a real estate attorney to handle the closing. ___


Close
Re-calculate your estimate of how much cash you will get from the sale after the mortgage and other bills are paid. ___

Get a copy of the Settlement Statement at least a day before the closing. Make sure the "net cash to Seller" is roughly equal to what you estimated. ___

Closing day: Bring your driver's license and the deed to the property (if you have one). Question anything on the Settlement Statement that you don't understand. ___

Celebrate with your family. ___