Cherrie-
Thanks for the help.
I may be looking you up.

I see you are in Wyomissing. This house is in Mohnton. And, I have to have the house inspection every 2 years to rent it. In fact, I am having an inspection this week. I don't know if that is the same inspection to which you are referring. ( I also don't live IN Reading....goodness, NO!) ; )

Thanks for all the quick suggestions, everyone.

Ohhh-one thing I forgot to mention earlier--if the home is in the city of Reading, you'll want to check into the mandatory city inspections that Reading keeps enforceing and then canceling!!!! That will need to be done at least 30 days prior to settlement. If the home is not in the city, some townships are requiring the inspections so don't forget to check on that! Thanks.

Congrats!! First, determine the value of your home and make sure the buyer can afford to purchase your home (you'll want a pre-approval letter from a lender). If you are not going to use a realtor, you should consider contacting an attorney familiar with real estate law--there are a lot of things that could go wrong and you want to make sure that you are protected (Realtors can do that for you as well). You'll need a contract, an appraisal and a title company. You'll need to stay in touch with your buyers lender as well to make sure everything is going smoothly and don't forget to provide a Seller's Disclosure Statement to your buyer (FSBO's are required to do this by law). Any questions, don't hesitate to contact me and good luck.

Well AJ, that can be good. First, each state's laws are different in real estate. A professional Realtor can help you assess where to go in your particular state. In general, one needs to be sure the buyer can qualify for the loan, in some state's such as Texas, there can be fine's for not offering the buyer certain things, so you will want to familiarize yourself with the laws in your state regarding real estate, or you can also seek the advice of a real estate attorney. You will also want to assess a price of the home, and then the home will need to appraise for that price in order for your buyer to close, if not, they will have to come to the closing table with the difference. Then, you will need to write the sales contract and have it signed off by both parties, you will need to find a title company who can close the file, and coordinate the contract and closing with the title company and the buyer, this again is in general, each state's laws vary. The earnest money in Texas needs to be deposited within a preset number of days if you have earnest money and the option money can in Texas go to the seller. Good luck and Congrats on getting the first issue, down....a buyer! That is just the beginning, but if you need help from there, consult a Realtor, we don't only bring buyers, we protect you and provide professional services start to finish until the moving van is packed and driving away. It can be a very daunting process though certainly you can do it. Nicole Arenas, Dallas, TX

It really depends on how things are done in your state. I have helped people in your situation here in Maryland simply charging a flat fee to facilitate the transaction. As an agent I have access to all the necessary forms and a working knowledge of what is required. I'm sure you could find an agent in your area that will help you out for a very reasonable fee. If you do go to an attorney a word of caution. Make sure the attorney you select is familiar with real estate transactions. Not all attorneys are. Either way, you should seriously consider the services of a professional. I don't know what it's like in Pa but our contracts can run from 40 - 50 pages. Whatever you do you want to make sure you are covered as far as what's required so nothing can come back to bite you.

Get the generic selling and disclosure forms from a title and escrow company that you plan on using. Go over all of them and workout a deal with the buyer. The buyer may still want to order an inspection and you should take the chicken scratched paperwork with all the changes and additions to an attorney for ones suitable for signing. Sign those and the buyer will submit those to the lender and the lender will order the appraisal. You will close. Deal done.