Cathy... it all depends on the person. I am just honest with everyone. I tell them what I see as the potential issues they may face.
In this market, there's so much inventory, marketing will be a real challenge for the FSBO without an agent. But, if someone already knows who they want to sell to (a business associate, a friend, etc.) maybe it will work. If the sellers really knows their way around the process; and gets competent legal advice, it will probably be OK. Closings are hard, even if you do everything right these days. But, forget all of that... in my area, people hire mechanics to change their oil, cleaners to clean their home, take their clothes to the laundry, have a nanny for their kids, etc. etc. If they don't want to be hassled with that, what makes them even CONSIDER selling a house on their own? It's surely one of the largest transactions of their lives. Would they do surgery on themselves? In some cases ( like in this market), that's the risk level when people who don't know the deal are trying to sell their own homes. - Fri Nov 14 2008, 16:46