How to Sell Your Florida Home and Save Thousands of Dollars in Realtor Commissions

People go through realtor's to sell their home for convenience, for their knowledge and customer base, but mainly because they are clueless to what one must do in order to play the real estate game correctly. Currently, the market for selling a house is not good, but that may soon change. The real estate market changes with economy, but there are also many trends in real estate, as in what was hot ten years ago may not be what is desirable now. Remember in the 80s when everyone was buying condominiums? Then town homes, now people are looking for solid home investments and a core family base. Many people have extended family living with them, and people are relocating a lot more these days, depending on job decline, growth or passing. Whatever the situation may be, it is not that difficult to sell your own home. There is a buyer for everything, it just takes the right person. There are many pros and cons, but if done correctly, the rewards can be endless.

Some of the pros of selling your home are saving over ten thousand dollars in commission fees. Instead of going into a realtor's pocket, it stays firmly put in yours, used to furnish or fix up your next home base. This can make the difference between living comfortably in a new home and going into debt to finance any reconstruction or problems that pop up. Many people don't realize that new homes have faults as well, and the cons in regard to second hand homes can be troublesome. One must always plan to have extra money put aside in case of problems with plumbing, mold, electric, appliances, roofs, insulation and pest control. If a house has had treatment for termites, one must also maintain, so pest control is an annual expense, as well as landscaping service including possible tree removal. If you live in a tropical climate such as Florida, you have to have hurricane shutters or materials for protecting your home, as well as insurance, if you can get it. Many people are relocating out of Florida because of these problems.

There are still more pros, as long as you know a thing or two ahead of time. Listing your house is all it takes to get people to come to your listing. Place a buy owner sign with your phone number for sale on your front lawn. The Buy Owner magazine is the best place to list your house for sale. People know they are dealing directly with you, and you are the one that shows your house. Make a detailed list of all your rooms, and all the attributes within each room, including, carpet, hard wood floors, and special appliances or bonuses that come with the house, every little detail that is part of the house and showcases it in a favorable light. As you take people throughout your home, you can read of the list, which would look good on an office clip board, not a piece of paper in your hand. Look as professional as possible, or better yet, try from memory to tell of your house's attributes, and hand the prospective buyer the list, professionally typed, to them as they leave.

If you are lucky enough to make a sale, the buyer will send an inspector over to evaluate your home, looking for the above mentioned, and will also give the go-ahead to the buyer that they basically are not investing in a lemon. If you have some major flaws in your home, you may have to come down on price if your home is not selling, or do repair work beforehand, as minor as possible, so as not to waste your money. What really makes a home sell is how you have it decorated and painted as well. Watch the many fine house shows on TV, for one can get some good tips on how to fix up a home to get even more money when selling.

Most important things to remember: If you are not using a lawyer to write the contract, before you even list your home for sale, its a good idea to confer with a local title company. They can advise you on each step, such as the search on your title, to the writing of the contract, which binds the buyer for a deposit. It is important to disclose facts about your property. For instance, termites or sink holes, whatever previous or current problems with regard to your house, property or association. If your house is in a homeowners association, you must notify the association of your plan to move and abide by their rules. Association fees must be disclosed in the contract. Don't guarantee anything on the contract in regard to your home, just disclose truths that the buyer or buyers need to know.