Sell House
Selling Your Home, Sell home, selling a house, selling house, sell your home - Home Services Mortgages Research Moving Zero Down Appraisals -- -- A Simple Guide for Selling a Home on Your Own Preface: Why sell yourself? Selling a home yourself, without an expensive real estate broker is easier than most people think. However, it will take some work on your part. You will be doing a lot of things that a real estate agent might normally do. Just follow the For Sale By Owner.com step-by-step selling guide below, and you'll not only save lots of money, but we'll make the house selling process as effortless as possible It's the money! Sellers save thousands of dollars not paying a 6% or 7% commission. For example, if your home can sell for $250,000, youd save $15,000 to $17,500 in commissions. Sell Your Home Fast. Because you are not paying an outrageous selling commission, you can afford to price your home more aggressively. The lower the price, the more likely it sells fast. You will still walk away with thousands in savings, but you'll just be doing it faster. It's so easy. Despite what a real estate broker may say, selling a house is not rocket science. They know that, and soon you will too. Just follow the simple selling steps below. And, if you have any questions, call us and one of our representatives will try to answer any questions you may have. You are not alone - For Sale By Owner.com will help you every step of the way. We are one of the largest and fastest growing real estate service companies in America. In fact, our web site is one of the top-five most visited real estate sites in America. Thousands of eager home buyers visit us everyday. Perhaps one of them is looking for a home just like yours. Over the past five years, we've helped sell thousands of homes, saving home owners millions of dollars. So let's get started. 8 Easy Steps to Selling a Home Yourself Step 1. Preparing your home to sell - make it look great Presentation is everything! Home buyers are attracted to clean, spacious and attractive houses. Your goal is to dazzle buyers. Brighten-up the house and remove all clutter from counter tops, tables and rooms. Scrub-down your house from top to bottom. Make it sparkle. Simple aesthetic improvements such as trimming trees, planting flowers, fixing squeaking steps, broken tiles, shampooing rugs and even re-painting a faded bedroom will greatly enhance the appeal of your house. Also, make sure your house smells good. That's right, clean out the cat box and light mildly scented candles. Invite a neighbor over to walk through your house like a buyer would. Get their opinion on how it "shows." The stuffed donkey in the family room may have to go to your in-laws for a while. Step 2. Pricing your home effectively Do not over price your home. Over-pricing when you sell a home reduces buyer interest, makes competing homes look like better values, and can lead to mortgage rejections once the appraisal is in. Over-pricing when selling a home is the single biggest reason why many "for sale by owner" home sellers don't sell their homes successfully. Remember: the home selling market dictates the price (not what you think it should be worth). One of the best ways to correctly price your house when selling is to find out how much other homes, similar to your own, recently sold for in your neighborhood. Talk to home sellers, buyers and check out the real estate listings in your local newspaper. Typically, if you set the price of your home at 5 to 10 percent above the market price, you are likely to end up with an offer close to your home's true value. Also, you may try calculating the cost per square foot of your home compared to the house selling prices in your area (divide list price by square footage of livable space). If your house has more features or other desirable qualities, you may want to set a slightly higher house selling price. The easiest way to accurately price your home is to contact your local home appraiser . Finally, set your house selling price just under a whole number, such as $169,900 rather than $170,000. Step 3. Get a real estate lawyer Even though it's an additional expense, it may be wise to hire a lawyer who will protect your interests throughout the entire transaction. An experienced real estate lawyer can help you evaluate complicated offers (those with a variety of conditions), act as an escrow agent to hold the down payment, evaluate complex mortgages and/or leases with options to buy, review contracts and handle your home's closing process. They can also tell you what things, by law, you must disclose to buyers prior to a sale and can also help you avoid inadvertently discriminating against any potential buyers. In some areas, title companies will handle all aspects of the transaction and have in-house legal departments that can assist you with legal issues that may arise. To locate a title company in your area, click here . Unless you're significantly experienced in the home selling process, having a real estate lawyer at your side provides peace-of-mind. You know you've got someone looking out for your interests, not just the buyers. To locate a lawyer in your area, click here Step 4. Marketing your home Exposure, exposure, exposure. That's how sellers sell their home fast. For Sale By Owner.com provides extensive home exposure because over 700,000 unique visitors come to the web site each month (that's Internet-speak for new people). In fact, For Sale By Owner.com is one of the top-five most visited real estate web sites in the U.S. getting literally millions of visitors looking to buy or sell a home. We spend tens of thousands of dollars a month to assure that For Sale By Owner.com is prominently placed on Internet search engines so buyers can easily find our site throughout process of selling your home. If your home is in a market where For Sale By Owner.com has a mass-distributed magazine, your home's exposure will be even greater because they can be found at thousands of locations frequented by buyers that include grocery stores, shopping centers, convenience stores and restaurants (the magazine is in over 40 markets nationwide). Writing your sell ad While For Sale By Owner.com allows you a 3,000 word description of your house (try to afford that in a newspaper ad), your advertising copy should be thorough yet short, simple and to-the-point. Long, flowery prose will not make your house sound more appealing. It will simply make it harder for the home buyer to read. Make sure to provide the critical facts buyers are looking for such as the house's number of bathrooms, a re-modeled kitchen, etc. Most home buyers quickly scan ads, so it is important that your house stands out. For example, you may want to add a theme-line such as "Priced below market" or "Great schools." Stay away from industry jargon and use language that makes home buyers comfortable. Survey our web site and see how others have written their ads. You will quickly see which are "buyer friendly." Copy their approach for your ad. Home Photos: Yes, a picture is worth a thousand words If you are taking a photo of your home, be sure that the home's yard/driveway is uncluttered. Remove bikes, garbage cans and parked cars. The same applies for interior shots. People are looking to buy your house, not your possessions. Think of furniture as props and the room a stage. Move things around if you have to. Also, take lots of house photos. Film is cheap...your home deserves quality. The more you shoot, the better the odds are that you'll get a few really good shots. Lawn signs Lawn signs are one the most important marketing tools for home sellers. They attract attention to your home. Professionally-produced signs (like the ones we can send to you) telegraph to home buyers a "quality" image of your house. Directional signs also help drive buyers to your property, especially if you do not live on a busy street. Open houses Open houses are sometimes a good way to attract buyers to your home. Typically, real estate agents conduct open houses for two reasons; 1. Clients expect them 2. They are a good way to attract buyers, not just for the open house but for all houses for sale in the Real Estate Agent's area (yes, your competition). The fact is that very few houses sell due to a open house itself. Home Brochures/Information sheets It is a good idea to create an information sheet (with a photo) about your home to give potential buyers. Consider printing copies of your ad from For Sale By Owner.com to give to people who visit your home. The MLS The MLS or Multiple Listing Service can also help market your home, particularly to real estate agents who may know of buyers seeking a property like yours. The MLS is a directory used by real estate agents to announce to other agents that they have a home for sale. In many selling markets, For Sale By Owner.com can put your house on the MLS (for an additional fee). However, if a real estate agent finds you a buyer after seeing your home on the MLS, you must usually pay that agent a 2.5% to 3% commission (the law states that all commissions are negotiable, however). You are your home's best salesman As every salesman knows, to be effective you have to really know your product. And who knows your home better than you? Certainly not a real estate agent, who, in all likelihood, has spent only a few moments in your house before showing it to prospective buyers. Sell your neighborhood as well as your house. Show enthusiasm, but don't get caught-up talking too much about how "your daughter spent the best years of her life in this very room." Step 5. Negotiating an offer on your home When a home buyer makes an offer (this is often presented to you directly from the buyer or through their lawyer), you should consult with your attorney. Buyers and sellers have an Attorney Review Period, which is usually three days, to cancel or amend the offer. The offer becomes a contract at the end of the Attorney Review Period, and is binding. Many of your home's offers can be complicated and contain special clauses that favor the buyer. Purchase price isn't everything. Carefully consider the purchase contract's other terms and conditions. Too many contingencies can leave loopholes and cause a deal to collapse. Especially avoid contingencies that favor the house's buyer, such as linking the escrow closing date to the buyer's sale of their current home. If the buyer insists on such terms, include a so-called kick-out clause in the contract that will allow you to consider other offers if the buyer isn't able to sell within a certain period of time. Assess your buyer's financial qualifications Is the buyer pre-approved? How much of a loan is the buyer seeking? Unless you are in an active market, lenders tend to shy away from underwriting a deal in which the purchase price is higher than the nearest comparable sale and the buyer is putting less than 10% down. If this is the case, your buyer may not be able to obtain financing. Know the home selling market How you judge an offer also can depend on market conditions. If the selling market is slow, you may feel vulnerable, especially if circumstances are pressing you to sell. Make sure any offer you accept does not keep you in escrow longer than 30 days. In a hot market where multiple offers are likely, be wary of countering more than one offer at a time (you could end up in legal trouble if two buyers both accept your counter offer). Also be wary of offers that promise more money but contain poor contract terms (long escrow, multiple contingencies, etc.). If you feel the home's offer is insufficient, make a counter offer. Rarely is a first offer the buyer's absolute highest price they are willing to pay. Negotiating is part of the home selling process. Again, your lawyer should review the details of all offers. Step 6. Home inspections All standard real estate contracts are going to give the prospective home buyer the right to inspect your property - so be prepared. Under a general inspection you are obligated to make major repairs to appliances, plumbing, septic, electrical and heating systems - or the buyer may cancel the offer. The inspection will also include your property's roof, as well as a termite inspection (in some states, house sellers must provide proof that the home is termite free). If you are concerned about how your home will fair when inspected, you may want to visit your local inspector . They can conduct an inspection for you before a potential buyer has one done. This way, you can address the problems before a buyer stumbles upon them. Once the inspections are complete, the buyer makes an application to a mortgage lender. Step 7. Buyer appraisals and other details The mortgage lender will order an appraisal of your home to make sure they are not paying more than the house is worth. They may also order a surveyor to make sure that the property boundaries are properly laid out. They will also order a title search to determine if there are any liens against your property. These tasks are all the responsibility of the buyer and/or their attorney. At this point too, the mortgage company will issue a commitment . Again, the buyer (and their attorney) must complete all conditions listed on the mortgage commitment. Prior to closing, you should notify your lender that you will be paying off your mortgage. After a closing date has been agreed to, you should contact your utility providers and advise them of your final billing date. Step 8. Closing The day of the closing , the home's buyer will do a "walk through" of the property to make sure all agreed repairs are completed and that the home is in the same condition as when the buyer made their offer. If problems arise that this point, the closing can still take place with funds held in escrow to remedy the problem. Closings usually occur 30 - 45 days after you have signed the sales contract. Depending on what state you reside in, you may close with an attorney, or with a title company. At the closing, all monies will be collected, any existing loans or liens will be paid, the deed will be transferred, and insurance will be issued insuring a free and clear title. The home seller will receive the proceeds of their home in one to two business days after the closing. Conclusion This step-by-step home selling guide is a general overview of the process when selling a home. Each state has slightly different laws and customs as they relate to the transaction process. Selling a home yourself can be time consuming, but the financial rewards can be tremendous. With help from For Sale By Owner.com , we try to make the process of home selling on your own as easy as possible. For Sale By Owner.com Your experts in selling a home on your own. -- Privacy & Disclaimer Partner With Us Career Opportunities Press Room Contact Us Buying A Home Your Credit Report Terms and Conditions Home Selling Tips Selling Your Home © 1997-2005 For Sale By Owner.com Your source for selling a home on your own. We make the home selling process a cinch. Sell real estate, sell a home, and sell your house, fsbo. Real estate selling, home selling, house selling. Site Map Home
Home Mortgage Disclosure Act
FFIEC Home Mortgage Disclosure Act --- ABOUT HMDA: HOW TO FILE: PUBLIC DATA: REPORTING RESOURCES: SEARCH SITE INDEX PDF HELP CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY QUICK LINKS Rate Spread Calc Geocoding System FAQs Data Order Form Aggregate Report Disclosure Report National Aggregate Census Reports CRA Suppl Reg C Amend. Welcome to the FFIEC's Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) web site. Information is organized into four categories: About HMDA Learn about the history and regulation behind HMDA How to File Find file specifications, software and various resources for reporting HMDA data Public Data Access on-line reports and ordering information for HMDA public data Reporting Resources Quick reference to reporting resources and assistance. WHAT'S NEW The 2006 HMDA Data Entry Software is available. Asset threshold increase for CY2006. FAQs updated with Type of Purchaser. FFIEC issues additional guidance on HMDA reporting . FAQs updated with Temporary Financing. 2006 Edits and File Specs are available. Corrections for 2004 HMDA Aggregrate and Disclosure data are available. Press Release announces the availability of 2004 HMDA data. -MUST READ. Data Collection Procedure Change -MUST READ. 2005 Census Data Geocoding System is now updated with 2005 census information. The 2000 CRA/HMDA Reporter is now available. This newsletter provides information on various topics to assist in the collection and reporting of CRA and HMDA data. It's a MUST READ! -- An August 8, 2000 Press Release announces the availablility of data about 1999 mortgage lending activity, National Aggregates , MSA Aggregate and Disclosure Reports . --
real estate brokers. Real
Real Estate Agent Printer-friendly version ( HTML ) Real Estate Agent What is this job like? | How do you get ready? | How much does this job pay? | How many jobs are there? | What about the future? | Are there other jobs like this? | Where can you find more information? What is this job like? Back to Top Real estate agents help people buy and sell houses. They must be able to say approximately how much money a house is worth. They need to know what the neighborhoods in their towns are like. They must know the laws that have to do with buying or selling a house. They also can tell home buyers where to get a loan if they need more money to buy a house. In return for selling a house, real estate agents get to keep a small part of the money that the buyer paid for it. Real estate agents work for real estate brokers. Real estate brokers manage real estate offices. People who want to buy a house often ask a real estate agent to help them. They meet with the agent to tell him or her what kind of house they want. They must also discuss how much money they can afford to spend. The agent then takes them to see houses for sale. Buying a house is a very important decision because houses cost a lot of money. This means that buyers often want to look at many houses before they decide to buy one. Real estate agents also sell houses for people. They help the seller set the price for the house. To do this, they must know what the house is like. They must also figure out what people would be willing to pay for the house so that it will sell quickly. They make sure that people see ads for the house so that they can think about buying it. Once a person agrees to buy a house, real estate agents still have work to do. They must fill out special forms that let everyone know that the house has a new owner. Both the buyer and the seller of the house must sign these forms for the sale of the house to be legal. Often, the agents must help the buyer to get a loan from the bank to pay for the house. Real estate agents generally work in offices. Since much information about properties is available over the Internet, some agents can work out of their own homes. In either case, however, much of their time is spent outside the office showing houses to buyers. Sometimes they must leave the office to meet with people who have houses to sell. Good real estate agents also spend time away from the office finding out more about the houses in their town that might one day be up for sale. Agents often work more than 40 hours a week. They often must work in the evening or on weekends. This is because most buyers and sellers are free only at those times. How do you get ready? Back to Top Real estate agents must have a license from the State in which they work. To get a license, a person must have graduated from high school. The person must be at least 18 years old and pass a written test. In some States, a person who wants to be a real estate agent must go to a special school for a few months. Sometimes it helps to take some college courses about real estate. This is because the process of selling a house can be hard to understand. Good real estate agents must get along well with buyers and sellers. It helps if real estate agents are pleasant and dress neatly. They should be well organized and be able to remember people's names. They should deal honestly with people and have good manners. They must also be very eager to sell houses, which is sometimes a lot of hard work. How much does this job pay? Back to Top Most real estate agents do not get a regular paycheck. Instead, they get part of the money that the home buyer pays to the home seller when a house is sold. This means that agents who sell more houses earn more money. It also means that agents who sell more expensive houses earn more. The middle half of all real estate agents earned between $21,010 and $52,860 a year in 2002. The lowest-paid 10 percent earned less than $15,480. The highest-paid 10 percent earned more than $83,780 a year. The middle half of all real estate brokers earned between $29,240 and $90,170 a year in 2002. The lowest-paid 10 percent earned less than $17,290. The highest-paid 10 percent earned more than $145,600 a year. How many jobs are there? Back to Top Real estate agents and brokers held about 407,000 jobs in 2002. Many work part time, and have other jobs as well. Most real estate agents work in large cities. Many also work in smaller cities that are growing quickly. This is because there are more houses being bought and sold in such places. What about the future? Back to Top The number of jobs for real estate agents is expected to grow more slowly than the average for all occupations through the year 2012. This is partly because more information about real estate is available on the Internet. This allows agents to conduct more business in less time, so fewer agents are needed. It should be rather easy to find a job as a real estate agent. This is because many agents find that they cannot sell enough houses to be successful, so they quit their jobs. Only people who enjoy selling, and are good at it, should try to become real estate agents. Are there other jobs like this? Back to Top Insurance sales agents Retail salespersons (car salespersons, etc.) Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents Travel agents Where can you find more information? Back to Top More BLS information about real estate brokers and sales agents can be found in the Occupational Outlook Handbook . The Handbook also shows where to find out even more about this job. Last Modified Date: October 21, 2004
Land For Sale
Scrape Metal Merchant, Land For Sale (Walsall, Midlands) - Freehold 1.2 acre site / land Buy or sell a business in the UK with the Business Partnership. View our businesses for sale, ask for a business valuation, or get help on either buying or selling. Make contact with our regional business broker offices who will be happy to assist with the sale or purchase of any business. ( 0 items ) Ref: trb.1113 Scrap Metal Merchants (Midlands) - FREEHOLD 1.2 Acre Site / Land Location Walsall, West Midlands United Kingdom Price Undisclosed Sales Revenue 413000 Property and Land Freehold Description Excellent site / land just outside Walsall city centre, would suit a variety of alternate uses, eg skip hire, haulage, storage, industrial etc. Currently operating as a long established scrap metal merchants. In recent years the scope of trading has been restricted to a non-ferrous door trade, dealing mainly in copper and aluminium. The site has two separate accesses, a circa 2000 square foot office building and a 40T Avery weighbridge installation. There is not thought to be any contamination to the land (possibly some dry metal). The business holds two carriers licences and the necessary environmental licences. Reasons for Selling Retirement Location and Property / Land The premises are situated in a prime location on a main arterial road into the centre of a West Midlands city. Related Information / Photos Back To Listings Add To My Folder Receive businesses by email - Use our brand new service to help you search for the right business. Simply add your requirements and when new businesses are added to our website that match your profile you will be emailed the details! Click here for more information. Home // About us // Office directory // Buyers // Sellers // My folder // Member login
New Homes Utilities/EEPS Service
Builders, Raters, Sponsors, & Lenders of New Homes : ENERGY STAR What is ENERGY STAR? | Newsroom Search Manufacturers Retailers Builders, Lenders, Raters & Sponsors of New Homes Utilities/EEPS Service & Product Providers Businesses Small Businesses Congregations HVAC Contractors PRODUCTS HOME IMPROVEMENT NEW HOMES BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT PARTNER RESOURCES -- Home > Partner Resources > Builders, Lenders, Raters & Sponsors of New Homes -- -- Builders, Raters, Sponsors, and Lenders of New Homes IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: EPA Releases Final New Guidelines for ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes What are ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes? Homes built to strict energy-efficiency guidelines using tried-and-true technologies and construction practices. Benefits of ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes Increased profits, customer satisfaction, and recognition, all while helping the environment. Builders , Raters , Utilities/Sponsors , Lenders , Other Partnering with ENERGY STAR Step-by-step guidance to help you capitalize on your ENERGY STAR partnership. Builders , Raters , Utilities/Sponsors , Lenders , Other Tools and Resources Logos, marketing examples, fact sheets, training presentations, a locator for finding other partners, incentives, and more. News and Policies Find out what's new, apply for an award, or examine program policies. Quick Links Partner Resources Partnership Agreements 100% Builder Commitment 2005 Outreach Partnership Homes Online Submission Tool Local/Regional Resources Partner Locator Regional Web Sites Marketing Resources Lender Resources Achievement Report ENERGY STAR Logos Advanced Lighting Package Sales Toolkit HomeCalc Brochures Presentations Customer Fact Sheets Technical Resources Indoor Air Package Builder Option Packages Manufactured Housing Guides Systems-built Housing Guides Revised Sampling Policy Do Even More with ENERGY STAR: Lighting Advanced Lighting Package Appliances Heating & Cooling Indoor Air Quality Kitchen Products | Home Improvement | New Homes | Business Improvement | Partner Resources Newsroom | Privacy | Contact Us | Site Index EPA Home EPA Search DOE Home DOE Search