For Sale By Owner Looking for advice and tips

[Vleka]

We want to sell our patio villa without a realtor. We’ve got the paperwork together but we’re not sure of where to post it other than Zillow. If you’ve had any experience with For Sale By Owner please share.

[retiredguy123]

Do you have a FSBO package from a title company that includes a sales contract, and an agreement for the title company to accept the earnest money and hold it in an escrow account?

Also, if you are willing to pay a real estate agent a reduced commission, I would contact some agents who may want to show the house.

[RICH1]

ZILLOW and get a couple of Real Estate attorneys interviewed to write up your sales contract…, ITS A BREEZE , but you have 800 houses to compete with

[Babubhat]

We want to sell our patio villa without a realtor. We’ve got the paperwork together but we’re not sure of where to post it other than Zillow. If you’ve had any experience with For Sale By Owner please share.

Zillow will repost it on a few other sites. Realtors will deluge you. Offer a fee if you like.
Price and location is everything right now. Most resales are absurdly priced. Why they sit for months

[PJ_Smiley]

Work up a professional description of your home. Leave out minutia and stuff that does not matter. Keep it simple and to the point but highlight the best of your house. Use other write-up by realtors or Tv as examples. You only get one time to make a first impression. Post on Talk of the Villages, Zillow, Trulia, and others. For Sale by Owner Guide A seller's guide to for sale by owner, or FSBO | Trulia (https://www.trulia.com/guides/for-sale-by-owner/#)

Stage home and remove all the extra stuff and your personal stuff; get a storage unit for a few months. Research other homes similar to your home that have sold to determine a price. The market is fluid, so do the research. Realtors, TV and others, will be happy to value your home in hopes they can list it. There is no harm having 2 or 3 inspect your home and give you a FMV. If bond is paid, make that a plus. People say that does not matter, but it does to prospective buyers.

Take pictures of your home (inside and out) with your phone and upload to TOTV, Zillow, Trulia, etc. Look at the photos and keep the best ones. Try to look objectively at the pictures and see if the showcase the best features of your home.

Piggy back off of TV open homes. Use Open Home signs that are large and easy to read by someone driving by. For the open house, make signs or placards (use Word and 8x11 photo paper) for each room showcasing the best features of the particular area. An easel or plastic holder works great. Set the signs on tables or hang on the wall as you enter the room. If there is something you want to showcase, use a sign with arrows pointing to the feature. Keep the signs clean, simple, and professional. For your first open house, invite your neighbors.
They are nosy and will probably drop by, but specifically invite them. Your neighbors may have friends or relatives that are looking to buy.

As for paperwork, you can find Florida for-sale-by-owner contracts online. If you are not comfortable with that, contact an attorney or closing agent. The closing agent for The Villages will close your sale for you, but they are busy with TV homes. TV closing company may have FSBO documents for you to use.

To sell and to show, you need to be outgoing and confident. It's your house and you know it best. Give yourself 30 days and see how it goes. You have nothing to lose.

We did the above (1st time we had done FSBO) - sold home in 8 days for full price, cash buyer and no contingencies. Buyer was a friend of a neighbor that came to first open house. We had contract ready to fill in the blanks and deal with TV closing company (Peninsula Title I think) set up. Get 5% deposit; it will lock them in. If the buyer is financing, that may be a contingency. Title company can handle any method of payment.

Some may say we sold for too low a price, but we priced it at the top of the market (at that time). We discounted what TV or other realtor would have sold for (6% less) and showed the calculation to the buyer. We basically split the realtor commission - the buyer saved 80%, we got 20% to cover our closing costs. Both sides were winners. We negotiated the furniture.

Good luck and good selling.

Addendum: People will be negative and criticize this or that. People say that the bond being paid doesn't make any difference. Yes it does. It is a big selling point for informed buyers. We sold our house FSBO in 8 days, full asking price, and cash deal, no contingencies. So, the proof is in the pudding. We were fully transparent with the buyer. We told buyer we would have sold for $x if listed with realtor, but we were able to lower the price since we were not paying commission. We did not have to sign a contract for 90 days or more. We did not lock ourselves in with a realtor that may or may not do what we want and get it sold. We did not have to be available whenever the realtor wanted to show the house. The neighbors probably thought we were crazy asking the $'s we were asking, but in the end, the higher price only raised the value of their houses.

BTY, we bought our new house FSBO, and we got a good deal and we were all happy. In both FSBO there was no attorney, only closing agent. We used TV closing company, but when we bought, the seller used an outside closing company. Both closing companies operated about the same.

Do your research, clean, declutter, and stage your home (realtor or FSBO). If we sell our current home, we'll sell it FSBO.

[retiredguy123]

As a buyer, I take offense when a FSBO seller suggests that we are splitting a commission, or that the price has been reduced by 6 percent because there is no real estate agent. When an agent is involved, the commission is paid entirely by the seller, not the buyer. Price the house based on its true value and don't try to convince a buyer that they are getting a better deal because there is no commission. That is a false argument that may turn off informed buyers.

[tv2016]

I sold my house in The Villages a few years ago and was able to list on MLS at a small cost. The advantage is that MLS agents (with clients who want to buy) see these listings.

[BrianL99]

Work up a professional description of your home. Leave out minutia and stuff that does not matter. Keep it simple and to the point but highlight the best of your house. Use other write-up by realtors or Tv as examples. You only get one time to make a first impression. Post on Talk of the Villages, Zillow, Trulia, and others. For Sale by Owner Guide A seller's guide to for sale by owner, or FSBO | Trulia (https://www.trulia.com/guides/for-sale-by-owner/#)

Stage home and remove all the extra stuff and your personal stuff; get a storage unit for a few months. Research other homes similar to your home that have sold to determine a price. The market is fluid, so do the research. Realtors, TV and others, will be happy to value your home in hopes they can list it. There is no harm having 2 or 3 inspect your home and give you a FMV. If bond is paid, make that a plus. People say that does not matter, but it does to prospective buyers.

Take pictures of your home (inside and out) with your phone and upload to TOTV, Zillow, Trulia, etc. Look at the photos and keep the best ones. Try to look objectively at the pictures and see if the showcase the best features of your home.

Piggy back off of TV open homes. Use Open Home signs that are large and easy to read by someone driving by. For the open house, make signs or placards (use Word and 8x11 photo paper) for each room showcasing the best features of the particular area. An easel or plastic holder works great. Set the signs on tables or hang on the wall as you enter the room. If there is something you want to showcase, use a sign with arrows pointing to the feature. Keep the signs clean, simple, and professional. For your first open house, invite your neighbors.
They are nosy and will probably drop by, but specifically invite them. Your neighbors may have friends or relatives that are looking to buy.

As for paperwork, you can find Florida for-sale-by-owner contracts online. If you are not comfortable with that, contact an attorney or closing agent. The closing agent for The Villages will close your sale for you, but they are busy with TV homes. TV closing company may have FSBO documents for you to use.

To sell and to show, you need to be outgoing and confident. It's your house and you know it best. Give yourself 30 days and see how it goes. You have nothing to lose.

We did the above (1st time we had done FSBO) - sold home in 8 days for full price, cash buyer and no contingencies. Buyer was a friend of a neighbor that came to first open house. We had contract ready to fill in the blanks and deal with TV closing company (Peninsula Title I think) set up. Get 5% deposit; it will lock them in. If the buyer is financing, that may be a contingency. Title company can handle any method of payment.

Some may say we sold for too low a price, but we priced it at the top of the market (at that time). We discounted what TV or other realtor would have sold for (6% less) and showed the calculation to the buyer. We basically split the realtor commission - the buyer saved 80%, we got 20% to cover our closing costs. Both sides were winners. We negotiated the furniture.

Good luck and good selling.

Addendum: People will be negative and criticize this or that. People say that the bond being paid doesn't make any difference. Yes it does. It is a big selling point for informed buyers. We sold our house FSBO in 8 days, full asking price, and cash deal, no contingencies. So, the proof is in the pudding. We were fully transparent with the buyer. We told buyer we would have sold for $x if listed with realtor, but we were able to lower the price since we were not paying commission. We did not have to sign a contract for 90 days or more. We did not lock ourselves in with a realtor that may or may not do what we want and get it sold. We did not have to be available whenever the realtor wanted to show the house. The neighbors probably thought we were crazy asking the $'s we were asking, but in the end, the higher price only raised the value of their houses.

BTY, we bought our new house FSBO, and we got a good deal and we were all happy. In both FSBO there was no attorney, only closing agent. We used TV closing company, but when we bought, the seller used an outside closing company. Both closing companies operated about the same.

Do your research, clean, declutter, and stage your home (realtor or FSBO). If we sell our current home, we'll sell it FSBO.

Anyone who sells their home FSBO, is costing themselves money and causing themselves aggravation, as well as opening themselves up for ridiculous liability. Getting recommendations from a person who did it once themselves, is like Tiger Woods hiring some kid playing one of our Executive Golf courses, to give him lessons. Not all brokers are great or even good, but there are some out there who are real professionals.

I've bought & sold well over 100 properties and without exception, everyone that didn't include a Broker and/or a Lawyer, was a headache. I know it's hard to bite the bullet and pay a Commission, but you'll get way more money for your home using a Broker and limit your aggravation.

I have a many friends in the Real Estate business and they almost always hired someone else to sell their own property, because it's the best way to handle it.

Anyone who says otherwise, is suffering from a lack of experience and using 1 or 2 anecdotal examples and calling it a reality or trend.

[Aces4]

Unless you’re pulling some shenanigans on the buyer, it’s a piece of cake. (I should qualify that I personally, would avoid selling to an attorney. We have friends that had some real cr*p pulled on them.)

Post #5 has some great tips but you don’t need to negotiate any of a realtors fee. Keep it, you’ve done all the legwork. We’ve sold nine properties without a realtor.

[retiredguy123]

Unless you’re pulling some shenanigans on the buyer, it’s a piece of cake. (I should qualify that with I personally, would avoid selling to an attorney. We have friends that had some real cr*p pulled on them.)

Post #5 has some great tips but you don’t need to negotiate any of a realtors fee. Keep it, you’ve done all the legwork. We’ve sold nine properties without a realtor.
I agree. Any FSBO seller who tries to sell a house by discussing the commission savings sounds like a car salesman giving you a discount on their fabric treatment.

[bowlingal]

Vieka....post it on Nextdoor...free and easy

[jimbo2012]

Two years ago I was totally disappointed with Villages brokers, 90 days nothing........

I went with houzeo.com, your listed on every website.

You can sell the house directly without a commission but you have to take the calls and meet the people.

In addition you can offer all the brokers any commission you want.

We went with 2.5%,

there was more showing in a week than 90 days with the villages brokers.

Had an offer on the 9th day and deal was done.


Take a look at their web site I recommended this to a few people and same story sold right a way

[Papa_lecki]

Sold my primary house with a private sale, the market was hot, as soon as it got out we were selling, neighbors friends were knocking on the door.
Yes, I saved the 6%, but would NEVER sell without an agent again.

[westernrider75]

Sold my primary house with a private sale, the market was hot, as soon as it got out we were selling, neighbors friends were knocking on the door.
Yes, I saved the 6%, but would NEVER sell without an agent again.

Our selling experience was similar to yours except it was super easy. We used a lawyer for paperwork and deposit holding. Saved $15k in real estate commission and no hassle at all. I would definitely do it again.

[defrey12]

We want to sell our patio villa without a realtor. We’ve got the paperwork together but we’re not sure of where to post it other than Zillow. If you’ve had any experience with For Sale By Owner please share.

My wife was an agent for years…the work you’re going to put into doing it yourself rarely yields the financial gains you seek. Statistics actually show that FSBOs sell for less overall and take longer to sell. Why? You are NOT a professional negotiator. That’s what you pay for. There are many ethical players out there. I would suggest you find one if you value your “wits.”

[Remembergoldenrule]

List on talk of Villages.
If you change mind our agent Bill Smith only charges 3%
352-571-8549

[Indydealmaker]

When you choose to sell your own, it is the equivalent of taking on a full time job. Just posting it somewhere constitutes 10% of the process.

[Vleka]

Do you have a FSBO package from a title company that includes a sales contract, and an agreement for the title company to accept the earnest money and hold it in an escrow account?

Also, if you are willing to pay a real estate agent a reduced commission, I would contact some agents who may want to show the house.

Yes we have the packet

[npwalters]

As a buyer, I take offense when a FSBO seller suggests that we are splitting a commission, or that the price has been reduced by 6 percent because there is no real estate agent. When an agent is involved, the commission is paid entirely by the seller, not the buyer. Price the house based on its true value and don't try to convince a buyer that they are getting a better deal because there is no commission. That is a false argument that may turn off informed buyers.

Your statement is almost accurate. The OP is saying the house would have been priced higher if they had used an agent. So if the buyer pays more with a realtor involved they are de facto paying for the agent.

[Bay Kid]

There is so much more to selling your home other than placing an add. A good agent is so very important.

[sallyg]

Anyone who sells their home FSBO, is costing themselves money and causing themselves aggravation, as well as opening themselves up for ridiculous liability. Getting recommendations from a person who did it once themselves, is like Tiger Woods hiring some kid playing one of our Executive Golf courses, to give him lessons. Not all brokers are great or even good, but there are some out there who are real professionals.

I've bought & sold well over 100 properties and without exception, everyone that didn't include a Broker and/or a Lawyer, was a headache. I know it's hard to bite the bullet and pay a Commission, but you'll get way more money for your home using a Broker and limit your aggravation.

I have a many friends in the Real Estate business and they almost always hired someone else to sell their own property, because it's the best way to handle it.

Anyone who says otherwise, is suffering from a lack of experience and using 1 or 2 anecdotal examples and calling it a reality or trend.
Disagree completely.

[ron32162]

Make sure your home compares. Not just by sq footage of the home but upgrades other sold homes may have had when sold like granite, quartz, new fixtures, new flooring, birdcages, roof, ac, water heater. appliances and location etc.

[Northerner52]

Have great photos and videos taken. I used this company and they were great. Wise Media Group (https://wiserealestatephotography.com/)

[RiderOnTheStorm]

We want to sell our patio villa without a realtor. We’ve got the paperwork together but we’re not sure of where to post it other than Zillow. If you’ve had any experience with For Sale By Owner please share.

Highly recommend FSBO; you will save a LOT of money if you are willing to do a little bit of work. We have sold two Villages homes ourselves and recommend the following:
1. Stay away from Zillow; they will use distant agents with little or no knowledge of Villages properties or potentially unique selling features of your home (e.g. choice building lot), to create and post a valuation of your home that can be highly inaccurate; our last home, a Courtyard Villa at the end of a very private cul de sac, sold for $389K despite Zillow's $323K valuation. The latter made our home much harder to sell since almost every prospective buyer wanted to believe that $323K was accurate; a tough perception to overcome. The situation was made very frustrating due to the fact that there was no way that we could challenge the inaccurate assessment.
2. Engage a Title/Settlement company; they will handle all the paperwork, arrange for an attorney to review all documents, and provide a neutral meeting place to meet with the seller to sign all the relevant papers. We used Advantage Title. They charged about $500 (including attorney fee) and was well worth the cost.
3. Consider buying a MLS listing, which will significantly increase visibility. If a sales agent responds, offer them 2% commission on anyone they bring to a successful sale.
Good luck.

[toeser]

Anyone who sells their home FSBO, is costing themselves money and causing themselves aggravation, as well as opening themselves up for ridiculous liability. Getting recommendations from a person who did it once themselves, is like Tiger Woods hiring some kid playing one of our Executive Golf courses, to give him lessons. Not all brokers are great or even good, but there are some out there who are real professionals.

I've bought & sold well over 100 properties and without exception, everyone that didn't include a Broker and/or a Lawyer, was a headache. I know it's hard to bite the bullet and pay a Commission, but you'll get way more money for your home using a Broker and limit your aggravation.

I have a many friends in the Real Estate business and they almost always hired someone else to sell their own property, because it's the best way to handle it.

Anyone who says otherwise, is suffering from a lack of experience and using 1 or 2 anecdotal examples and calling it a reality or trend.

I can't match your number of sales, but I have sold at least 10 properties, all without a broker. All went quite smoothly. I have used just a lawyer, or just a title company for the paperwork. It's not that complicated. I think you are raising unnecessary fears.

[Whitley]

Your statement is almost accurate. The OP is saying the house would have been priced higher if they had used an agent. So if the buyer pays more with a realtor involved they are de facto paying for the agent.

I agree with your post. If I need clear 100k from the same, and am paying an agent 6% for the sale, I would need to list the home at approximately 106,385.00. While the commission may be paid from the seller, the buyer is paying in terms of a higher cost.

[Aces4]

My wife was an agent for years…the work you’re going to put into doing it yourself rarely yields the financial gains you seek. Statistics actually show that FSBOs sell for less overall and take longer to sell. Why? You are NOT a professional negotiator. That’s what you pay for. There are many ethical players out there. I would suggest you find one if you value your “wits.”


Did your wife, the realtor, go in and clean the house, wash the windows, physically remove items to storage, sweep the garage and prep it, touch up paint if needed and so forth?

If a house is maintained, cleaned and ready, the bulk of the work is done. Take some nice pictures, chose a title company and list. If, as suggested earlier, you can coordinate with an open house nearby and open yours at the same time, do so.

Remove smaller valuables from your home prior to showing whether you are listing with a realtor or by yourself. It is helpful to have two people showing your house vs one realtor. Have a small sign by the door as people enter, “No pictures”. We do allow pictures for the buyer when we have an accepted offer with earnest money.

All of this said, not very one should sell their own home. Excluded people include those with infirmities, a limiting disability and those who know they would not be comfortable or able to manage the details included in the process.

People don’t continue to list their own homes to lose money, it is financially rewarding. Good luck!

[retiredguy123]

Your statement is almost accurate. The OP is saying the house would have been priced higher if they had used an agent. So if the buyer pays more with a realtor involved they are de facto paying for the agent.
In my experience, FSBOs are usually priced higher than agent listed houses. But, they usually end up selling for less. But, asking a buyer to "split the commission" is just wrong because 1. There is no commission on a FSBO, and 2. The commission is a seller fee, not a buyer fee.

[BrianL99]

I can't match your number of sales, but I have sold at least 10 properties, all without a broker. All went quite smoothly. I have used just a lawyer, or just a title company for the paperwork. It's not that complicated. I think you are raising unnecessary fears.


Folks hire people to fix their automobile, paint their house, change the faucets in their bathroom sink and fix their broken bones ... yet they're smart enough and competent enough to handle a $400,000 transaction properly, by watching a couple of YouTube videos?

The statistic have shown over & over & over again ... you get less money and more aggravation, by trying to sell property without a professional. It's simply common sense.

[Aces4]

Folks hire people to fix their automobile, paint their house, change the faucets in their bathroom sink and fix their broken bones ... yet they're smart enough and competent enough to handle a $400,000 transaction properly, by watching a couple of YouTube videos?

The statistic have shown over & over & over again ... you get less money and more aggravation, by trying to sell property without a professional. It's simply common sense.

I couldn’t disagree more. We do our own painting, plumbing repairs, sometimes some of the auto repairs, etc. We only hire workman when beyond our skill set.

I don’t know how those statistics could show “less money” when one literally saves more than 6% on the price of their home!

I would guess those stats are skewed. It’s been found that stats can be manipulated when the studies are tainted to suit the interests of the company or individuals requesting the study.

[retiredguy123]

I agree with your post. If I need clear 100k from the same, and am paying an agent 6% for the sale, I would need to list the home at approximately 106,385.00. While the commission may be paid from the seller, the buyer is paying in terms of a higher cost.
So, when you buy a house, you expect to pay more for an agent listed house than for a FSBO? I don't think most buyers view it that way.

[Vleka]

Have great photos and videos taken. I used this company and they were great. Wise Media Group (https://wiserealestatephotography.com/)

Thank you! I’ll definitely consider it.

[Robbb]

We want to sell our patio villa without a realtor. We’ve got the paperwork together but we’re not sure of where to post it other than Zillow. If you’ve had any experience with For Sale By Owner please share.

As someone who has been looking for a home in the Villages, I don't think I have ever seen a FSBO that was not ungodly overpriced. In my VHO it seems as though they have a disconnect with their home value and the market. I have personally stopped looked at them.

[retiredguy123]

As someone who has been looking for a home in the Villages, I don't think I have ever seen a FSBO that was not ungodly overpriced. In my VHO it seems as though they have a disconnect with their home value and the market. I have personally stopped looked at them.
I agree. I don't look at them either. If you want to sell your house, hire a real estate broker.

[Aces4]

As someone who has been looking for a home in the Villages, I don't think I have ever seen a FSBO that was not ungodly overpriced. In my VHO it seems as though they have a disconnect with their home value and the market. I have personally stopped looked at them.

Talk about a blanket statement!

I would like to see the study which provided you that information. Like a realtor is perfectly accurate and not lowering the offering price on your home so they can cash in quickly. If I realtor lists your home and people are all over it attempting to be the buyer, you were listed too low.

FSBO’s do the legwork and add the upgrades to the value of their home. Of course, the neighbor may tell you it’s overpriced but when the offers come in, you know it’s listed right in the ballpark.

[FVHlvh]

We want to sell our patio villa without a realtor. We’ve got the paperwork together but we’re not sure of where to post it other than Zillow. If you’ve had any experience with For Sale By Owner please share. How can I contact you. I would like to find out more. Where is it located etc.

[Bay Kid]

It should be easy to rent or sell my home. Lots of calls. After a few days I listed with a rental company. Same as a sale, so many steps in the process.