try a flat fee MLS like http://www.sharpmls.com in Louisiana, Realtor, taking a small up front fee to list ur home, u set the commission u are willing to pay the other realtor who brings a buyer. If you sell the home on your home, with our the aid of a realtor u r not obligated to pay

I recommend offering at least 4% that way, you are will certainly get noticed by agents

I want to sail around the world on my own..now I could, but do I know all the risks? No.
You want to sell the home yourself in an environment where experienced people who only sell, finance and insure real estate are crying for lack of sales?

Don't drown in dissappointment..leverage yourself by hiring an experienced, seasoned agent with a written plan to sell your home...agents need to know how to sell, get financed and insured a home while clearly identifying qualified buyers as per the latest banking rules and regs.

You want to sell, I want to sail. I understand my risks and love sailing, but will not do it on my own...think about it.

"Lynn makes a good point about "understanding the Statutes of your State".
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Thanks for clearing that up Fred. I could have sworn she posted "you need to understand the statues of your state," and I was thinking that the one I understand the best is this one>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf34lUsofCE

Go by it 5 to 7 times a week, and tip my hat every time. Well almost anyway.

My advise to you is to offer a commission to an agent that brings you a buyer. Another bit of advise is: when it gets to be too much to handle, hire a REALTOR.

Good Luck!

Ahingle,

Check out the links Rockinblu provided I think you will find a lot of information to assist you in making a decision.

Did you really thing Agents who are in the business of selling their services to sellers and buyers were going to tell you (Yeah you can do it) just become as informed as you can about your market and you decide which way to go is best for you..FSBO, Flat-Fee or Full Service. It's your Decision

You can also google the Topic and find a lot of info...

Good luck, Dunes

Lynn makes a good point about "understanding the Statutes of your State".

Many States and many Counties and Municipalities require Sellers to give certain written disclosures when selling their house. Here in Florida, that ranges from Radon Disclosure to Square Footage Disclosure to Property Taxes Disclosure to Road Maintenance to School Zones and on and on. Other states have their own disclosures - the ability of masonry to withstand an earthquake, flood zone disclosure, and more.

Failure to make these Disclosures, plus failure to do a lot of other things required by Statutory Law, may render your Contract invalid. They may also set you up for a Lawsuit after the closing.

As suggested before, see a Real Estate Attorney for Legal Advice.

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Best wishes,
Fred
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WOW yes, you need to understand the statues of your state when selling a property. You can be sued there are many seasoned veterans out there searching for FSOB know the laws then you are in a lawsuit lost all equity in your home and etc.

Why Realtors use other Realtors sell their properties therefore covered under e & o insurance .

National Featured Realtor and Consultant, Mortgage Loan Officer, Credit Repair Lecturer
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Lynn911
Lynn911

Most FSBO's have a poor understanding of the actual appeal and value of their home.....our advice is to be grounded and realistic about you home's price and understand that you are competing with "short sales" and "foreclosures."

Be sure to use an attorney to review all aspects of your transaction.

Good luck

Approximately 37 homes per month have sold in your zip code (looking at the last 90 days of activity). There are currently over 300 listings. Covington has a wide variety of properties in a multitiude of price ranges, so you definitely need to do your homework to price the property right (check the St. Tammany Parish clerk of court's website). With the high levels of inventory you don't want to cut yourself off at the knees by refusing agents who are working with qualified buyers. If you are interested in having any of the 100's of realtors in the area bring their buyers to consider your property, you need to be prepared to pay a buyer's agent commission (3% minimum) since they will be required to do a lot of the behind-the-scenes work that the listing agent normally does to get a contract to the closing table. There is much more to selling your house than hosting an open house or two and showing it to a few people. Once you have a serious buyer, you've got to "sell" it to the home inspector, the appraiser, and the mortgage company as well.
If you'd like more specifics about the market here in Covington, please don't hesitate to contact me. I'd be pleased to help you find your next home!

Ahingle,

You may find the info attached to the links below of some interest. Good luck.

http://www.trulia.com/blog/rockinblu/2008/08/thinking_about_…

http://www.fsboprimer.com/fsboforseller.html

Cindi makes an excellent point - "be prepared to pay a buyer's agent a commission"

In your advertisements, your website, and on your for sale sign add the words "Broker Cooperation" or similar. Realtors will know coming in that you offer a commission or fee. Just a suggestion - offer the typical "Selling Side" fee, which is often one-half of the going rate for commissions in your area.

And again, if a Real Estate Agent asks you to sign a Commission Agreement (which you should), make certain that it is a one-time Buyer Specific Agreement, and not a Six-Month Exclusive Right of Sale Listing Agreement or other. (Regrettably, there are Agents out there who may try and trick you into signing a Long-Term Listing Agreement).

Your Lawyer can advise you.

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Sell it!
Fred
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FSBO.com is one of the better resources....but I agree with Fred, hire a good real estate attorney to review all contracts. You may also want to hire a marketing consultant and web design person to help you with the technolofy part. A personal assistant will come in handy for coordinating all of the paperwork back and forth from you and the Realtors (a Realtor is still the most likely person to sell you home, so be prepared to pay a buyer's agent a commission) as well as holding the open houses. Good luck.

Have a Real Estate Attorney review all Offers, Contracts, and other Paperwork before signing.

If you find that you are unable to sell it FSBO, consider using a Flat Fee MLS Broker. Make certain of what you are paying for - you want not only the MLS, you also want an MLS Electronic Lockbox (not a hardware store combination lock), you want multiple digital photos and digital video posted on all major Real Estate Websites, you may want a right to cancel without recourse.

See a Real Estate Attorney for Legal Advice.

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Best wishes,
Fred
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