FSBO
There are a few advantages to selling your Bay Area home on your own. There are also a few disadvantages. You should weigh the differences when you are considering offering your home FSBO.
When you use a real estate agent to sell your home you don't have to deal with all of the paperwork involved. This can take up a substantial amount of your time and letting an agent handle it can give you a lot more freedom. An agent takes care of all of the home showings for you. This is usually a good idea because a lot of people search for real estate to buy in the Bay Area and it could get a little frustrating trying to work out your schedule to accommodate them. Another reason for letting an agent show your home is that home buyers like to discuss the home freely while they are looking at it. This can be hard for them if you are in their presence.
The biggest benefit to selling your Bay area real estate on your own is the money you save. If you don't have to pay this commission to a broker, you are essentially putting that money back into your pocket. This allows you a little more room for negotiating the price and can sometimes mean a faster sale if you can knock a couple thousand dollars off of the selling price.
There are some things you should take note of to make the process go a little smother when selling with the FSBO method. Be sure you know what your house is worth. Just because you are selling your home yourself doesn't mean you should avoid getting a good appraisal for your home.
Plan your schedule ahead of time and stick to it. When taking calls for people to see your home, everyone answering the phone on your behalf (family members included) should know your set schedule for showing the home. They should also let you know every time they set up an appointment so you are adequately prepared.
Have your attorney draw up your documents ahead of time. This is a biggie because there will be things in your sale that you want to request. These addendums should be ready to go when you need them so make sure that you have everything made up and approved by your lawyer ahead of time to avoid any mishaps later.
Advertising is going to bring in your potential buyers so put as much good information as you can in your ad. You want to avoid saying things like "cheap house" or "fixer upper" unless you are just trying to get rid of the property. This type of ad will bring you a slew of investors and low offers along with them. If you are looking for a good price for your prime Bay Area real you want to focus on the finer details of the home. If the home is big, list the square feet. If you have beautiful hardwood floors list that too. Just remember that you are listing the house to attract your target audience so list what you would want to see if you were in their shoes.
