Don't decide until you've answered these questions!

If you are selling your home, answer the following 25 questions.  Your answeres to these questions will help you determine if you require the services of a real estate professional to help prepare and sell your home.

1. Do you have the time, energy and contacts to handle all the aspects of selling your home?

2. If you do it yourself, do you think the results would be as good or better than if you use a competent real estate professional to assist you with the sale of your home?

3. Can your personal time be better-spent doing other activities, rather than marketing and showing your home?

4. Are you comfortable dealing with contracts and legal issues?

5. Do you have free access to legal real estate advice and real estate contracts?

6. Do you have access to the "true" price your neighboring homes sold for exluding any seller paid incentives to broker or buyer?

7. Do you know how to price your home?

8. Do you know how to negotiate the price of your home with a buyer who is trying to lower your selling price?

9. Do you know how to stage your home?                                              

10. Are you available on short notice to show your home?

11. Do you have the ability to pre-qualify a buyer before showing your home?

12. Are you comfortable showing strangers through your home?  Do you feel there may be a security risk?

13. Do you have the time, budget, resources and expertise to market your home for sale?

14. Do you know what advertising tools work the best in effectively marketing your home?

15. Do you know what the law requires to be disclosed to a home buyer?

16. Do you know what constitutes a legally binding real estate contract?  Do you understand contingencies and their completion dates?

17. Do you know how to handle a purchase offer?  What if there are multiple offers?

18.  Do you know how to handle a request for closing costs or mortgage discount points?

19. Do you know what appliances and fixtures are included int he sale of real estate?  Do you know what you can exclude?

20. Do you know ho to handle a buyer's appraisal that comes in below your asking price?

21. Do you know how to ensure your home is inspected by only a reputable and competent home inspector?

22. Do you know how to respond to home inspection requests and repairs?

23. Do you know what you are or are not required to repair or replace?

24. Do you know how to be sure that the buyer is obtaining the agreed upon financing?

25. Are you aware of the legal and financial liability that can come with selling a home if you make a mistake?

Add the number of "yes" answers. If you answered "yes" to:

• 25 questions - You are a Realtor.
• 23 to 24 questions - If you do not use the services of a real estate professional to help sell your home, be sure you have a contingency plan and help for the questions you answered with a "no".
• 21 to 22 questions - You should use a Realtor to help you sell your home.
• Under 21 - No question, use the services of a Realtor to help you sell your home.

Fact: The number one reason someone sells their home on their own is to save on real estate commissions.

Fact: The number one reason For Sale By Owner sellers do not sell their home is because it was not priced right.

Fact: Buyers are looking for the right house for their needs and want to look at homes listed For Sale By Owner and those listed in the realtor's Multiple Listing Service (MLS).

Fact: Buyers usually don’t pay the commission to purchase a house and are usually working with an agent to help them find the right home. These agents will call you to show your house to their buyers if they know about your listing and you are willing to pay them a commission. The only way for agents to know you are selling is by placing it in the MLS.

Fact: Over 60% of all homes For Sale by Owner end up being listed and sold with a real estate professional.

Fact: Over 85% of all homes are sold by a real estate professional.

Fact: The best opportunity to get top dollar for your home is to expose it to as many ready, willing, and able buyers as possible the first month.

Fact: Over 80% of real estate sales are a result of a real estate professional's contacts through previous clients, referrals, friends, family, and personal contacts.

Fact: Real estate professionals have errors and omissions insurance to help cover the liability that can accompany buying or selling a home. Do you?

Fact: Even when a mortgage company says a buyer is approved it does not guarantee that the mortgage company will fund the buyer's mortgage for the purchase of your home.

If you have determined you need the services of a real estate professional to help you sell your home, I would like to personally explain to you how I would market your home.   Email or call me:

 Linda Coiro, Linda@PerchedinParadise.com, 850-543-4604