What makes buying a For Sale by Owner home different from a “Listed Home” ??

Hi, I’m Steve Higgins, the author of FSBO PowerTool Help Resource, a guide to help homeowners decide the best way to sell their home.  I am also a deeply passionate FSBO aficionado.   And I can tell you one thing for sure:

Not every person is properly suited

to sell their own home – to “Go FSBO”

Why is this?  It’s fairly simple, the typical homeowner has a full-time job, or kids, or both that make up a full-time schedule that leaves little room for a full-time second job.  And make no mistake, selling a home “By Owner” is exactly that – a demanding, self-motivation-required, working-weekends, cleaning-house-and-more JOB !!

Why on earth would anybody choose this “no glory” job?  Simple.  Many folks are self-reliant.  They enjoy what we call D-I-Y or Do It Yourself.  They are the masters of their own destiny.

Oh yeah, they also want to save a buck!  Or keep the ones they’ve accumulated.  Some simply hate the idea of paying a commission.  There are plenty of varied motivation factors for striking out on your own when you sell your home.  Each FSBO Homeowner has their own set of reasons and they are all 100% valid – they have to be because, hey, it’s THEIR home!

Let’s tackle the seemingly insurmountable obstacle for both For Sale by Owner Sellers and FSBO Buyers:

Buyers are absolutely driven to get the best deal they can on the home they want.  They want the lowest possible price and the most they can get for that price.

Sellers want the absolute highest price they can get.  If they are going to “give up” their home, they want to walk away with the highest net price possible.

So, given these diametrically opposed goals, it seems pretty clear that no FSBO home sales can possibly ever take place.  No way, no how.  Sellers want up, buyers want down.  They are in completely opposite corners – there is just no way to have a happy ending.

Well, that’s it then.  You can just go ahead and log out and forget about this crazy idea, right?!

Of course not.  We all know that many For Sale by Owner transactions happen all the time.   It’s been this way for years, and it will continue to be this way for years to come.  Why?  Because those “opposite corners” are actually rounded and come full circle back to each other.  What does this mean?  Well, put simply we need each other.

Sellers have Reasons to Sell

Buyers Have Reasons to Buy

This is why FSBO home sales happen all the time.  And, in many cases, they are a total win-win for both parties.  And you, dear reader could become one of those happy homeowners!

Check out my Home Buyer help Video here:

I have a passion for For Sale by Owner.  Please understand that this does not mean I think it is for everyone.  Far from it.  And, in fact, I absolutely love the incredible level of talent and professionalism of the Arizona AND Colorado Real Estate Agents.  As a mortgage professional, I deal with them cooperatively on a regular basis.  And a vast number of folks are much better off using an agent rather than “going it alone.”

One more thing regarding agents.  In my FSBO PowerTool Resource for Co. and Az. home SELLERS, I conduct extensive interviews with several area agents.  They provide a wealth of incredible tips and information – absolutely free of charge.  As one of them says in the video: We want FSBO Sellers to be successful.  We want sales to occur.  That is what makes a good market.  Furthermore, most agents are fully aware of an alarming statistic:

89% of those who consider going FSBO or actually attempt

it eventually give up and list with an agent

As a home buyer or prospective buyer you may be working on your own or you may be working with a Buyer’s Agent to get their priceless help, advice and knowledge.  It is very important to understand that a FSBO Seller has no better resource for attracting Buyers than to offer a Buyer’s Agent commission.   How can any Seller hope to attract the most possible buyers without opening themselves up to the Pros – the experts?!

In my FSBO PowerTool Resource I make few recommendations – but one of them I do make is to offer a healthy commission to have agents bring buyers.  

If you are working on your own to buy and you select a For Sale by Owner home then you are a DIY person meeting another DIY person.  Self-Reliant meet Self-Reliant.  This is a great starting point for successful negotiations!

But before you make that offer understand that the FSBO Seller has taken on a monumental task by choosing to sell on their own.  If they are brilliant enough to Register for my PowerTool Resource (ok, a little shameless self-promotion) than they have a wealth of help and information to guide them through the process.

One of these tools is access to a powerful agent tool called a CMA.  This lets the Sellers know the proper value. And once an owner has two or three of these reports they have a darn good fair market value for what the home should sell for.

I’ve also recommended that they get a Home Inspection, proactively, up front before they sell!!   Usually something done when a contract is received – and ordered by the Buyer.  But I feel it is wise to find out any defects with the home so as to be fair, have a chance to fix them and make sure you know they have your interests at heart as well.

They also have advice and services available to them for Contract Reading and Writing so as to help you, the buyer, make sure you have a clean deal that won’t run into problems.

Finally, they have been given great advice from a couple of area Title Experts and know how to guide the process from Offer to Closing.

And I fit myself right in the middle whenever I can.  I am a Real Estate and Mortgage expert and have a Team of trustworthy professionals in your area to pre-qualify any Buyers so that the Seller knows the deal has the best chance to actually Close and Fund...  And if you have decided to sell now is a great time.  We offer Complimentary Listings and Flat Fee MLS exposure:

Best Place to List My FSBO

give me a holler at 720-353-4451 (Colo.) or 928-852-0104 (Az) and you will get our very best help - whatever your home buying or selling need.

Why do I offer so much for FSBO Buyers and Sellers?  Well, it has to do with a core belief of mine.  This value is best summed up from a quote by Zig Ziglar, a famous writer:

If you help enough people get what THEY want

You will have more than YOU could ever want

Here is my solemn promise as a FSBO Expert:  If you are a buyer and have questions about a home or about a loan I will help you to the fullest.  If you are a Seller I will help you with any part of the sales process including Prequalifying Buyers so you know you will get offers only from folks that will actually be able to close on the purchase.

BUT, IN NO CIRCUMSTANCE WILL I SHARE BUYERS PRIVATE INFO WITH SELLERS NOR SELLERS PRIVATE INFO WITH BUYERS.

So, you have a helpful liaison – an expert to lean on.  I'm not here to sell you on which path to choose.  I am here to offer the best possible information so that you can make an informed choice.

So, dear Buyer, I look forward to helping you find that home of your dreams.

Best Regards,

Steve Higgins and the BestFSBO.com Team