5 Reasons You Shouldn’t For Sale by Owner

by The KCM Crew on February 5, 2014 

Some homeowners consider trying to sell their home on their own, known in the industry as a For Sale by Owner (FSBO). We think there are several reasons this might not be a good idea for the vast majority of sellers.

 

Here are five of our reasons:

 

1. There Are Too Many People to Negotiate With

Here is a list of some of the people with whom you must be prepared to negotiate if you decide to FSBO.

• The buyer who wants the best deal possible
• The buyer’s agent who solely represents the best interest of the buyer
• The buyer’s attorney (in some parts of the country)
• The home inspection companies which work for the buyer and will almost always find some problems with the house
• The appraiser if there is a question of value
• Your bank in the case of a short sale

2. Exposure to Prospective Purchasers 

 

Recent studies have shown that 92% of buyers search online for a home. That is in comparison to only 28% looking at print newspaper ads. Most real estate agents have an internet strategy to promote the sale of your home. Do you?

 

3.  Results Come from the Internet

Where do buyers find the home they actually purchased?

• 43% on the internet
• 9% from a yard sign
• 1% from newspapers

The days of selling your house by just putting up a sign and putting it in the paper are long gone. Having a strong internet strategy is crucial.

 

4. FSBOing has Become More and More Difficult 

 

The paperwork involved in selling and buying a home has increased dramatically as industry disclosures and regulations have become mandatory. This is one of the reasons that the percentage of people FSBOing has dropped from 19% to 9% over the last 20+ years.

 

5. You Net More Money when Using an Agent 

 

Many homeowners believe that they will save the real estate commission by selling on their own. Realize that the main reason buyers look at FSBOs is because they also believe they can save the real commission. The seller and buyer can’t both save the commission.

Studies have shown that the typical house sold by the homeowner sells for $184,000 while the typical house sold by an agent sells for $230,000.   This doesn’t mean that an agent can get $46,000 more for your home as studies have shown that people are more likely to FSBO in markets with lower price points. However, it does show that selling on your own might not make sense.

 

Bottom Line

Before you decide to take on the challenges of selling your house on your own, sit with a real estate professional in your marketplace and see what they have to offer.

Immigration Reform's Impact on Housing

Immigration reform is a political hot potato to many. We do not want to take a political stance on the issue. We will leave that to others. However, we do want to report on a recent study released by the Immigration Task Force of the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) that spoke to the impact reform would have on the housing market.
The BPC did not claim their study was all encompassing and included the following caveat:
“It is important to note that this analysis is not an endorsement of the Senate bill or any other policy proposal. The study does not examine other aspects of immigration reform including demographic or national security concerns, nor does it look at the cultural benefits that immigrants bring to our communities. Clearly, these issues are important considerations for immigration reform proposals.”
That being said, let’s look at what the study did reveal:

Continue to Drive the Housing Recovery

The study commented strongly on the economic impact reform would bring to housing:
“Immigration reform would dramatically increase demand for housing units. This would increase residential construction spending by an average of $68 billion per year over the 20-year period.” 
The study looked at the effect different policies would have on housing.

Impact of Attrition through Enforcement

“Under the “attrition through enforcement” scenario, residential construction spending declined by more than $100 billion per year compared with the baseline, and by more than $175 billion per year compared with the reference case. This is because the removal of all present and future unauthorized immigrants caused a significant decline in the U.S. population. The departure of current unauthorized immigrants would leave many dwellings vacant and the reduction in future population growth would reduce the need to build additional housing units.”

Impact of Immigration Reform

“The analysis examined immigration reform’s impact on the housing market...Demand for housing units increases as new immigrants enter the economy and form households, accelerating the current housing recovery and fueling growth in this sector of the economy. Under the reference case, average spending on residential construction increased by about $68 billion per year, with a peak of more than $110 billion per year in FY2022–FY2025. The first decade’s annual average was about $56 billion per year higher, and the second decade’s was about $81 billion.”

The economic impact on housing should not be the only consideration as to whether immigration reform makes sense. But, it is interesting to see the potential outcomes of different policy decisions.

The #1 Reason You Should Sell Now

keepingcurrentmatters.com · by The KCM Crew · January 13, 2014

Home For Sale Sign in Front of New House

The price of any item (including residential real estate) is determined by ‘supply and demand’. If many people are looking to buy an item and the supply of that item is limited, the price of that item increases.According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the supply of homes for sale dramatically increases every spring. Putting your home on the market now instead of waiting for the increased competition of the spring might make a lot of sense.
Buyers in the market during the winter months are truly motivated purchasers. They want to buy now. With limited inventory available in most markets currently, a seller will be in a great position to negotiate.