Home For Sale
Homes and Communities - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) HUD news Newsroom Priorities About HUD Homes Buying Owning Selling Renting Homeless Home improvements HUD homes Fair housing FHA refunds Foreclosure Consumer info Communities About communities Volunteering Organizing Economic development Working with HUD Grants Programs Contracts Work online HUD jobs Complaints Resources Library Handbooks/ forms Common questions Tools Webcasts Mailing lists Contact us Help Hurricane Information HUD's hurricane resource page How to get help Press releases and photos HUD's response to the hurricanes Progam guidance and waivers Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program Contact information Operating requirements Consolidated contributions contract Disaster rent subsidy contract HUD Highlights Bush Administration announces $1.33 billion in grants to house and serve thousands of homeless individuals and families $20 million aimed at increasing public housing resident self-sufficiency and aiding elderly, disabled HUD seeks nominations for second annual Woodson Awards President Bush announces Homesteading Initiative Jackson signs 'Five-Star' statement of support for National Guard and Reservists HUD announces mortgage assistance for disaster victims Avoid Predatory Lenders Web Clinics for HUD Partners National Calendar of events Daily message At Your Service Learn how to buy a HUD home Learn how to apply for public housing and Section 8 See if HUD owes you a refund on your FHA loan Find a HUD-approved lender in your area Talk to a housing counselor File a housing discrimination complaint Submit Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request Busque información en español Learn about the President's agenda to expand homeownership More services Important Links Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Annual Performance Plan 2005 Performance Accountability Report (PAR) Equal employment opportunity data posted pursuant to the No Fear Act regulations.gov Information by State Find information about homes and communities, organized by state. Select a State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico/ Virgin Islands Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Homes for Sale Find homes for sale from HUD and other federal agencies. Information For... Citizens Homebuyers Senior citizens Veterans/Military Kids Students People with disabilities Researchers Landlords Tenants Colonias/farmworkers Native Americans Victims of Discrimination Housing Industry Lenders Brokers Housing agencies/tribes Multifamily industry Appraisers Other Partners Grantees/ non-profits Congress/ elected officials Small businesses Fair housing Faith Based and Community Organizations Hospitals Investors Auditors/ investigators Now Playing Appraisal Protocol Content updated December 23, 2005 Back to top FOIA Privacy Web Policies and Important Links Home U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 451 7th Street S.W., Washington, DC 20410 Telephone: (202) 708-1112 TTY: (202) 708-1455 Find the address of a HUD office near you
Denver Real Estate
Denver Real Estate and Relocation, Littleton Real Estate, Denver Metro Area County Real Estate, Tim Pfannenstiel " Denver Homes, Real Estate & Relocation Access all listings! Have you ever wanted to see all of the listings your Realtor sees? Now, with a HomeCard, you can finally have the 'INSIDE SCOOP'. Area Market Stats. Need to know what home prices are doing in your community? What did the neighbors really get for their home? Make an informed buying or selling decision with your HomeCard. Auto Email Alerts. In a 'HOT' Real Estate market, do other home buyers learn about new listings before you do? Sign up for a HomeCard and stop worrying now. You will automatically receive an email alert whenever a property matching your Profile becomes available. Store Documents. Your HomeCard gives you a convenient place to store all house related documents on-line. Shop For Loans. Worried about getting the best possible deal on your loan? Let us help you get funded. Home Services. Access home improvement products and services on-line. Read reviews and rate these vendors on-line. Permanent Site. Your HomeCard survives the Real Estate transaction and becomes a permanent Web Site for your new home. Email Listings Program! Why drive all over the city or spend hours in front of you computer when this FREE service can do the work for you? With Homefinder, I will help you find your dream home by conducting a daily search of my listing database on your behalf. Each day that I find new properties matching your criteria, I will promptly let you know via email. CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED TODAY!! Whether You Are Buying Or Selling A Home, View Tim's Commitment To You! Click Here SELLING OR REFINANCING? Click Here for a FREE Comparative Market Analysis on your home! FREE! REPORTS Real Estate Information The buying or selling of your home will be one of the most important transactions of your lifetime... Buyer/Seller Tips: Read through helpful tips of information on buying or selling your home! 6 Things You Must Know Before Obtaining a Mortgage! Click Here Relocation Package : Are you relocating to the Metro Denver area? Receive up to date information on schools, communities, recreation and more by requesting our "Relocation Package", mailed to you within 48 hours after request. Local Denver Area Schools: Identify the best school district for your family with my free schools report. Click Here for information on Private and Independent Schools! Monthly Real Estate Newsletter! Receive my FREE monthly email newsletter! This publication will cover the latest real estate topics such as current market values and statistics in the "Metro Denver" area , interest rates, buyer & seller information, market trends, investment tips and more. Sign up today by clicking on the Newspaper! HOME & COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER CLICK ANY LINK BELOW... Community Info , Area Attractions , Local Restaurants , Movies , Weather , More... Change of Address Form , 10 Most Forgotten Items , Moving Checklist , After Your Move , More... Loan Programs , Down Payment Assistance , ABC's of Mortgage Credit , More... -- Buying Foreclosures , Avoiding the Pitfalls , Ready to Buy? , Home Inspections , More... Setting Your List Price , Preparing Your Home For Sale , Improve Selling Time ,-- More... What You Can and Cannot Deduct , Rental & Vacation Homes , Tax Planning , More... Expert Advice , Tips On Saving Energy , Hiring a Contractor , Cost vs. Value , More... Top 10 Scams , Avoiding Telemarketers & Junk Mail , Recycling Guide , Kelly Blue Book , More... Star Chef's Secrets , Recipes & Cooking Tips , Zagat Restaurant Guides , More... Keeping Your Home Safe , Disaster Supply Kit , Poisoning & Prevention , More... Gardening Basics , Plant Encyclopedia , Gardening Q & A , Regional Guides , More... Your Elected Officials , Zip Code Finder , ATM Locator , Driving Directions , More... Tim Pfannenstiel 720-373-8460 1-800-873-9756 tim@timpfannenstiel.com We're listed in: Real-Estate-Agents.com, NetSavvyAgent.com , Relo-Experts.com Link Partners.com , Real Estate Link World.com , BuilderCentral.com-Comprehensive Home Builder Web Directory , ABC Real Estate Directory , Real Estate Link Exchange , Directory Real Estate - Meta-Directory for Real Estate , Reals.Com-The #1 Real Estate Directory , Member of House Buyers National Network , American Home Inspectors Directory - Home Inspections Nationwide - Find Home Inspectors, Home Inspection Information, and related Real Estate Services , ClickState , Look Directory.com - Comprehensive Human-Edited Web Directory , USA Real Estate Directory , World Web Directory , Real Estate Roster Attention all search engine spiders: This site features Denver County Real Estate, Jefferson County Real Estate, Arapahoe County Real Estate, Douglas County Real Estate, Adams County Real Estate, and homes for sale , town homes for sale , condos for sale, land for sale, and other real estate for sale in Denver, Littleton, Lakewood, Ken Caryl, Highlands Ranch, Englewood, Aurora, Parker, Evergreen, Greenwood Village, Cherry Hills, Centennial and neighboring communities. Search this site for homes for sale in the Denver Metro Area communities including Denver, Littleton, Ken Caryl, Englewood, Centennial, Highlands Ranch, Aurora, Greenwood Village, Cherry Hills, Lakewood, Parker and find the home of your dreams! Tim Pfannenstiel has over 22 years experience serving both buyers and sellers needs throughout the Denver Metro Area. Please Read Our Disclaimer SITE MAP About Me - Buyer Seller Tips - Buyer Tips - Buyer Commitment - Seller Tips - Seller Commitment - Calculator - Community Links - Consumer Links - Favorite Links - Dream Home Finder - Free Reports - GuestBook - Interest Rates - Local Partners - School Information - Map - Newsletter - Property Inquiry - Real Estate News - Resource Center - Useful Tools - Weather - Your Home's Value - 1-800 Advertising - 6 Things You Must Know Before Obtaining A Mortgage - Committment link/Pictures - Comparitive Market Anaylsis Sign Up - Disclaimer - Denver Colorado Real Estate Search - For Realtors - Home Finder Email Sign Up - Link Popularity Sign Up - Metro Denver Map - Monthly Newsletter Sign Up - Real Estate Referral Network - Realtor Referral Form for Denver - Colorado - Relocation Package Request for Denver - Colorado - TRAVEL/HOTELS - View Featured Denver Colorado Homes - Colorado Mountain Properties - Colorado Recreation And Fun - Entertainment & Nightlife - More Great Sites - More Real Estate Sites - Mortgage Sites - Professional Sports In Colorado USA Realtors Alabama Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Alaska Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Arizona Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Arkansas Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - California Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Connecticut Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Delaware Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Florida Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Georgia Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Hawaii Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Idaho Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Illinois Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Indiana Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Iowa Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Kansas Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Kentucky Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Louisiana Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Maine Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Maryland Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Massachusetts Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Michigan Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Minnesota Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Mississippi Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Missouri Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Montana Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Nebraska Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Nevada Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - New Hampshire Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - New Jersey Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - New Mexico Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - New York Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - North Carolina Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - North Dakota Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Ohio Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Oklahoma Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Oregon Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Pennsylvania Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Rhode Island Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - South Carolina Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - South Dakota Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Tennessee Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Texas Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Utah Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Vermont Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Virginia Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Washington Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - West Virginia Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Wisconsin Homes - Real Estate & Relocation - Wyoming Homes - Real Estate & Relocation You are the 133,914th visitor to my website. Web Site Design and Hosting Provided By: Advanced Access © 1998-2005
House Rent
Renting a House RENTING A HOUSE If you rent a house, rather than an apartment, you'll have some additionalconcerns: Lawn care and snow removal will probably be your responsibility. City codes require that lawns be mowed. If you think the landlord is providing either of these services, make sure your lease says so. Garbage hauling is not a municipal service in Champaign-Urbana. Unless your lease says that the landlord provides and pays for hauling, you'll have to call a private hauler and arrange service. Look in the yellow pages under "garbage." (Note: references in your lease to sanitary fees are for the sewer system, not for garbage hauling). Don't assume the garage comes with the house; make sure the lease says you are renting the "house and garage." If the house has no garage but you plan to park in the driveway, make sure the lease says Lessee may park in the driveway at no extra cost. Be sure the lease states the number of bedrooms in the house, especially if any bedrooms are in the basement or attic. If any area containing bedrooms becomes unfit for habitation while the rest of the house is still habitable, you'll be in a better bargaining position with your landlord if you can prove that the uninhabitable space was leased to you for living and sleeping purposes. Zoning laws prohibit more than four unrelated adults from living together in a single family home. The tenants, as well as the landlords, can be held liable by the city for violating the law. Enforcement is complaint-driven. If you live in Urbana near the U of I campus, or if you live anywhere and annoy your neighbors with noise or illegally parking cars on the lawn, you are a likely target for enforcement. See section of this handbook on " Zoning ." Be especially careful about including in your lease a list of all appliances that the landlord will "provide and maintain." Don't assume the washer and dryer in the basement will be repaired by the landlord if one breaks down. They may have just been left in the house by previous tenants. Protecting your deposit is a bigger job with a house. Many tenants report being charged at the end of the lease for leaving trash in the yard, damage to a porch, lawn care, cleaning out the basement, etc. Both when you move in and when you move out, you should take photographs of the basement, attic, front and back yards and the porch , in addition to photographs of walls, floors, insides of oven, fridge and cabinets and all fixtures. Damage deposit refund law does not cover houses (except in the City of Urbana). If the house is in Champaign, Savoy or anyplace other than Urbana, be sure your lease states the time period for refund of the deposit and requires the landlord to provide you with an itemized statement of damages within a certain time period. A sample clause appears in the section of this handbook on signing a lease. Return to Home Page Return to Table of Contents
Real Estate Investment Software
Real Estate Investment Software - AnalyzeToWin Real Estate Software AnalyzeToWin Real Estate Software Real Estate Software Products: Real Estate Analyzer Professional Real Estate Analyzer Deluxe Investment Property Analyzer Lite Vacation Home Investment Evaluator Personal Home ROI & Cashflow Calculator Contact Us About Us Privacy Terms&Conditions Articles Links Site Map Advertisement Section The Lake of the Ozark's Home Rental Other Rentals Real Estate Software for the Informed Investor Real Estate Investment Software Maximize your return on investment with our real estate software for residential or commercial income properties. Our real estate analysis tools are easy-to-use and let you quickly create reports about return-on-investment (ROI), cash flow, future sales price and more. If real estate is part of your wealth-building strategy, our real estate investment software can help you: minimize surprises (or risk) by guiding you through typical expense categories and showing you the cash flows base your investment decisions on numbers (ROI) and take some of the emotions out of the decision-making process spend only minutes instead of hours on the analysis focus on finding the right properties using scenario analysis Choose the right Real Estate Software for your needs: Real Estate Analyzer Pro : Real Estate Investment Software for residential or commercial real estate investment analysis. Includes detailed tax treatment for active investors and real estate professionals. Investment Analyzer Lite : Software Version for less complex real estate investment analysis requirements. Real Estate Analyzer Deluxe : analyze either your personal residence , an income generating residential rental property or a vacation home . The Real Estate Analyzer Deluxe is a standalone real estate analysis program for Microsoft Windows (no spreadsheet) while our other programs require Microsoft Excel. Unlike the Investment Property Analyzer or the Real Estate Analyzer Pro, the Deluxe focuses on different property types but without the detailed tax benefit analysis required by most professional investors. Vacation Home Investment Evaluator or Personal Home ROI & Cashflow Calculator : for your personal real estate purchases. See our Real Estate Software Feature Comparison Table All of our user-friendly programs are designed to save you time in calculating the return on investment and evaluating potential future cash flows for your income property. Know the potential return and cash flows of your real estate investment! Our Guarantee: All our software products have a 10-day money back guarantee! Real Estate Analysis Software Programs for successful Real Estate Investors. All Rights Reserved Option Analysis LLC
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