The For Sale By Owner Kit (Paperback)

by Robert Irwin (Author) "All things being equal, given the choice of selling a home and paying 5 percent or 6 percent in a commission, or selling a home..." (more)
Key Phrases: shelter value, preapproval letter, quicker sale, Multiple Listing Service (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The numbers are staggering: In 2002, 1.68 million people attempted to sell their homes "by owner," and a whopping 2.25 million are projected to do so in 2005—sidestepping real estate agents and pocketing more profits. Online FSBO options also are accelerating: In 2003, an astonishing 840,000 FSBOs used online listing services.

For years, The For Sale By Owner Kit has been a must-have resource, filled with essential checklists, sales forms, and sample ads designed to simplify the entire home selling process. Included in this new edition are revisions to chapters on:

• "Staging" a home to maximize its appeal
• Pricing a home for quick sale
• Managing all the necessary, but complicated, paperwork
• Writing an air-tight, carefully worded sales agreement
• Hiring fee-for-service agents

Several entirely new chapters discuss handling disclosures and inspections fairly and honestly; getting full-service agents to work with you; and, most important, a detailed discussion on online home listings.

To maximize the value of The For Sale By Owner Kit, the new edition includes the following services from Owners.com, the largest online FSBO service:

• A Web page on Owners.com that readers can customize for their own property with photos and detailed description
• A private e-mail box to use for online respondents
• An answering service that can be used strictly for property inquiries
• Hit list statistics to see how often the listing has been viewed
• Buyer preapproval cards from E-Trade Mortgage

About the Author
Robert Irwin reaches tens of thousands of homeowners, sellers, agents, and lenders through his more than 100 published books about real estate, regular real estate column for the Wall Street Journal online, and a weekly column on Owners.com. His series of Tips & Traps has sold more than a million copies, and his other Dearborn Trade books have been longtime, steady sellers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Kaplan Business; 5 edition (November 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0793195144
• ISBN-13: 978-0793195145
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #594,494 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

100 of 107 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, December 9, 1998

By	John Hillock (Bellevue, Washington) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The for Sale by Owner Kit (Paperback)

I was expecting a "kit" based on the title. It turned out to be a 210 page paper-back book. The main reason I bought the "kit" was to get sample contracts, but none were included. He does a decent job of describing the basic process, and good ideas on marketing. Overall, I'd look for a better source if you're planning to FSBO your home.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Read this book before you sell your house, July 16, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: For Sale by Owner Kit (Paperback)

I would recomend anyone who is a first time home seller (like me) to read this book. It is a very good overview of the selling process and full of honest insight from someone who has obviously been involved with real estate sales for a long time. Other books I read had a "get rich quick" feel to them that I found distastefull. This book was honest and objective. My only complaint is that the section covering the purchase agreement could have been a bit more detailed; specifically, concerning closing costs.

34 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very well written and thorough, January 9, 2005

By	NewCD "NewCD" (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: For Sale by Owner Kit (Paperback)

This is a very well written and thorough book. Everything is hear to tell you how to sell your house - from marketing to closing. I used this book and signed up for the "internet only" option on BuyOwner. That's all I needed. I got between 1 and 5 inquires per week and sold the house within the month. I ended up saving over $14,000. Anyone who uses a realtor these days is just throwing their money out the window.