Sell Apartment Quick

Quick apartment sale

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Statistically, the figures for home repossession have risen by 45%, according to Government figures. There can be many reasons that lead to house repossession, such as: divorce, credit card debt, illness, secured or unsecured debts or separation.

The process of repossession can legally begin when 2 payments to a lender have been missed. The first missed payment brings the borrower into arrears with the lender, who then have to be contacted and a payment schedule agreed. If the borrower does not contact them, or cannot afford to make the payments and a second payment is missed, then the lender can begin the process of home repossession.

The first stage of this is for the lender to state in a letter that the borrower has seven days in which to meet the payments or to agree a payment scheme. If this is not possible, then solicitors will begin court proceedings, seeking a home repossession order.

Usually the court will try and see house repossession as the last eventuality. However, if the borrower is deemed to be unable to make the necessary repayments, including arrears and penalties, then he will be served with an eviction notice and a date will be scheduled to leave the house.

The repossessed home is now the legal property of the mortgage lender. The lender can then instruct an estate agent to put the house on the property market or for it to be sold at auction.

First-time house-buyers can research these properties and they can become an affordable alternative in an increasingly expensive market.

Offers can be made on a repossessed house, but the lender may decide they want to publish a ‘notice of offer’ in the local press. This states that the lender will accept higher offers that are received by a certain date.

Auctions used to be mainly used by investors looking to by the property and sell it on at a profit, but now those wanting to get onto the ‘property ladder’ – but may not have the necessary funds for a standard purchase – can do so, as the properties are usually sold for less than their market value.

Other benefits include the bidding process, which is in an open forum so all bidders know the price and do not have to bid ‘over the odds’ to secure the sale. Also, the process is much quicker than the conventional sale process, usually taking 1 month from sale to occupation.

There are other factors involved, however. A repossessed home may be in need of repair and renovation or carry a negative credit rating associated with the address – although this can be absolved by contacting the relevant credit reference agencies.

There are lists of auctioneers available in local directories, but it is also worth contacting estate agents and mortgage lenders who have a vested interest in the sale of any repossessed property, although mortgage lenders can be secretive about their involvement in house repossession, in terms of image-consciousness.

The Internet offers many services that can supply lists of repossessed properties, but these are likely to generate a lot of interest, due to the potential to buy a house at less than market value.



Rent Back

You keep hearing that the real estate market is slow, and sure enough, the houses for sale in your community just seem to be sitting. But you still need to sell your house and you can’t wait around forever. So what do you do?

While there are many factors to consider if you need to sell your home right way, the asking price of your property is probably one of the most important.

Some background information is needed at this point. In a balanced real estate market where the supply of homes is relatively equivalent to the demand for homes, the sales price of a property is usually determined by evaluating the sales price of similar homes in the same community (known as comparables or “comps” method). In this method, a seller would typically price their home at, or slightly above, the price of similar homes that recently sold in the same community. However, in a slowing market, the supply of homes exceeds the demand, which produces a situation where buyers have many choices.

The “comps” approach is a useful method in a balanced market or in a market that favors sellers, but is less useful in a market that favors buyers. The reason for this is that in a buyer’s market (where supply exceeds demand), homebuyers have many choice and sellers must compete to attract their attention.

In a market that favors buyers, prices tend to drop as sellers under bid one another to get their house sold. If you need to sell your property and can’t wait, then ask your Real Estate agent to re-evaluate the asking price of your home and to make a recommendation about changing the asking price below your competitors. In this type of market, homebuyers demand a bargain and the price is a top consideration.

Although price is a top consideration, there are many other things you can do to improve the probability of selling your house in a slow market. If your house is just sitting and you’re not getting visitors or offers, ask your Realtor to come up with a list of ideas that will improve your chances. Encourage them to be through and creative in their proposed solutions.

You should also keep in mind that the real estate market can be very different from one community to the next, even between communities that are just a few miles apart. Even in a slow market, some communities will continue to demand a premium price, while price reductions will be evident in a neighboring community. Your Real Estate Agent can provide you information about which communities are “hot” or “cold” in your region of the country, which will help you price your home to sell quickly.



Rent Back

Life’s sail is never a smooth one. The more the ups and the downs, moving in and moving out become dominant. Be it relationship or your sweet home. However, there might be several reasons as to why you need a quick house sale at UK, from divorce, new job, ill health, bereavement to cash-strap situation. Just putting up a board saying ‘buy my house fast’ will not fetch you the best deal, at least in these times.

Yes, quick property sale UK is a complex process. There might be options of a complete outright quick house sale in a cash-strap situation or in a situation when you are moving out to a new company in a new place. There are certain cases of changing jobs, where quick house sale becomes possible as the company often buys back the house from you. The company as a cash house buyer might not give you the best price but you are happy as it frees you from the hassle of looking for another buyer or putting up the house for sale with the estate agents. So check out on the company agreement with you.

However, in cases of divorce, it is better that you take a recourse to companies that offer services on buy and rent back option of houses. Not only that these companies provide with a quick option of searching the right cash house buyer but also makes it convenient by saving your time. With such specialist companies in UK, all you need to do is fill up a simple online form, leaving few details and you can then select a deal offered by them. Thus apart from coping with strained relation you need not bother and get the headache of selling the house and you still get the cash you’ve needed. Additionally, you can wish to keep it as a confidential sale requesting that to the companies dealing with buy and rent back houses.

Third, if you yourself want to hunt for the best deal with a simple listing like ‘buy my house fast’ you need to take certain steps. First off, get thorough information on the valuation of the quick property sale UK. Then, set your rational expectation of price accordingly. Acquire some information on the quick house sale deals within your neighborhood and put up an advertisement in the local dailies or hire the services of the estate agents. Additionally you can browse the internet and get some detailed information on reputable fast cash house buyers and go ahead to clinch the best deal.

But, the word of caution is never throwing away the house under distress; you might lose on in the longer run. If you feel you are not getting the right price for your house on sale, try the renting out option but never lose on to your equity. Prior to contemplating on the idea of sell property fast it is advised to check with a licensed cash property buyer UK and get your all your doubts regarding property selling in London clarified.



Sell House Quick

a recent radio interview, I shared one of the biggest mistakes I see small business owners making – believing you are in business to sell your products and services. I was asked why I considered that such a big mistake since it seems like any small business owner would indeed be in business to sell their products and services.

Here’s why I see it as a mistake – your prospects and clients aren’t waking up in the middle of the night focused on your products and services. Though it would be really cool if they were, right?

The key then, is to tap into what they ARE waking up in the night thinking about in your area of expertise. When you can truly resonate with the key pains, frustrations, and desires of your target market, that’s when you begin to attract LOTS of clients. We all started our small businesses to help people through the products and services we offer. But we can’t help if we are not tuned into what people really want and what they need help with.

So here’s the truth about what you’re really selling:

You’re selling an experience:

When customers show up to do business with you, they’re looking for an experience. Your job is to find out what that experience is and deliver it. It may be high quality products/service, fast response time, guarantees, a certain type of atmosphere, excellent customer service, etc. They have some expectations about doing business with you and if you get really curious with your prospects and customers, you’ll uncover expectations that you can then deliver to boost sales and also referrals.

It’s not that you have to meet every expectation, by the way, as some may be unrealistic. But don’t be quick to dismiss them as unrealistic either. You may get some information that, if implemented, will quickly set you apart from others in your field. So at the very least, ask what they appreciate most about your products/services. This way you can turn up the volume on what people most appreciate or value.

You’re selling a solution:

A lot of small business owners talk about the features of their services. That’s when it’s all about you and what you have to offer. A web designer talks about all the stuff they do to produce a great web site. A copywriter talks about the great brochure they can create. A virtual assistant talks about all of the tasks they can complete. A real estate agent talks about how many homes they’ve sold. But people show up for a completely different reason. They show up for solutions. And the more you sell solutions, the more you attract clients.

Solutions = Results:

So what are those solutions? I hire a web designer to achieve a particular result – to attract more customers. I hire a virtual assistant to relieve the stress of trying to do it all myself. I hire a copywriter to produce something that increases sales. I hire a real-estate agent either to get my house sold fast and at the highest price, or to buy a fantastic new house at the lowest price possible. Sometimes, as a real estate agent, you’re selling “a great yard for the kids” because that’s the #1 focus of your client. The more you talk about the solution and the benefits to your customer (vs what you do), the more you attract prospects and clients. Because that’s what they’re thinking about.

So the key is to uncover the real solutions, desires, and benefits to the people you want to help in business. And you do this simply by asking. We must become much more curious and ask a lot more questions of our clients/prospects. A great question to ask is: What are you hoping to achieve as a result of working with me? Then listen. Ask them to tell you more and listen again. Listen very carefully and you may just uncover a goldmine of powerful marketing language for your business.



Quick Property Sale

“When most people think about searching for an apartment, they do not even consider enlisting in the services of a broker or realtor. Rather, they look through newspapers, rely upon word of mouth, or use an online apartment locator to assist them in the search. This is unfortunate because a realtor can be of great help when it comes to finding an apartment.

Many do not realize that a realtor does so much more than sell real estate. In fact, a real estate agent can be a key source in finding a great apartment at a cost you can afford.

Putting Realtor Knowledge to Work for You

One of the best parts about using a real estate agent as your personal apartment locator is the fact that a realtor is quite knowledgeable about different neighborhoods. In fact, a competent realtor should be able to answer any questions that you might have about the different neighborhoods you are considering moving into. The realtor should also know quite a bit about the apartment complexes in those areas and whether or not any apartments are available. In this way, you can better determine if the neighborhood is a good fit for you.

Some factors you might want to consider when searching for an apartment include:

• Is the apartment conveniently located near to public transportation and other conveniences, such as stores?

• Is the neighborhood and the apartment complex family-friendly?

• How bad is crime in the neighborhood?

• How long of a commute will you have to take to get to work?

• Are there parks or other attractions nearby?

If any of these are important to you, your realtor should be able to quickly determine the neighborhood in which your should concentrate your search.

Save Time With a Realtor as Your Personal Apartment Locator

Most of us lead very busy lives and, as such, we don’t have time to call about every available apartment or to visit every one that is available. After you tell your realtor what you are looking for, he or she can narrow down the choices and take you to see only the apartments that are most likely to suit your needs.

If you are getting ready to move into the state or city, this time saving element can be a necessity. After all, you don’t have time to travel back and forth to look at many different apartments. Rather, you can higher a realtor to narrow down your choices and arrange for you to see all of the potential apartments in just one day. That way, you only have to take one day out of your busy schedule to see what is available.

Having a realtor work as your own personal apartment locator can save you a great deal of time and inconvenience. If you are moving into the area, contacting a real estate agent ahead of time can make the move much easier and create for a far smoother transition. Even if you already live in the area, however, getting help from a qualified real estate agent will still save precious time and will simplify the entire process.”



Quick Property Sale

After a long time of recession, the Chinese real estate sector is on a boom, with a large number of potential buyers flooding the realty market. This is especially the case in the cosmopolitan city of Shanghai, where the realty sector contributes in a large way to the city’s prospering economy. So, most of the investors agree to the fact that it is a good time to invest in the real estate sector in Shanghai. Even for those who want to get residential property on rent in the city, there are many options to choose from.

The different options for property rental in Shanghai are serviced apartments, old and new apartments (non-serviced), old houses (renovated or remodeled) and villas. You can easily choose any of these, depending upon your specific requirements such as the time duration of your stay in the city, the rent you can afford to pay and the location of the area. For instance, if you are planning to stay in the city for a moderately long time period, then it is a good idea to go for apartment rentals in Shanghai. Apartments in Shanghai are usually located near the Metro stations and commercial areas of the city, making your stay and commutation comfortable.

The size of the apartments range from 100 to 300 square meters. Also, these apartments are usually fully furnished, which means that you will not be required to purchase any additional furniture during your stay. The accommodations also include most of the basic facilities such as building security, cable TVs as well as other furnishings, required in your daily lives. Some of the more posh apartments are also equipped with clubhouses as well as other recreation facilities such as a swimming pool, gymnasium, a golf course, post office, local markets, bus service and other facilities in close vicinity of the place. Some of these places also offer an interesting view of the traditional structures and areas of the city.

So, if you are planning to stay in Shanghai, then renting an apartment is a good idea for you. However, it is not possible for an individual to look up different places on their own, and it is usually recommended to avail the services of a real estate agent for a Shanghai property rental. One popular Shanghai real estate company that offers a wide range of options in apartments to choose from is Newport Real Estate. The renowned company’s staff would not only assist you in looking for the right property but also in getting all the documentations in place. For more details, log on to www.newportchina.com.



Passive Income

You can stop repossession with a quick home sale. Repossession is often in the news and more and more people are affected. When you miss mortgage payments, financial difficulty is not far behind. When lenders write and ask you to get in touch, sometimes it seems easier to ignore the letters. Even if you respond, you may not be able to agree on a deal. It’s a stressful time, and figuring out how to stop repossession can affect your life and health.

You may not realise it, but you can stop repossession of your house even after proceedings have begun. It’s better to do this before you end up in court and there’s one sure way to save the situation. Stop repossession with a quick home sale. When you sell your home, you will get the cash you need to repay your debts and your credit rating will remain intact. That means that you have a better chance of getting a mortgage in the future. Making ends meet and talking to lenders can cause great stress. You can end that when you stop repossession with a quick home sale.

Will an open market sale help me stop repossession?

When you use an estate agent to sell your home, then you will probably get a good offer on your home, but how long will it take to get the cash you need? There are no guarantees about the completion date and if there’s a property chain you could find yourself without a buyer. How will you stop repossession of your house then? If you need to stop repossession with a quick home sale, then there is a better option.

I need to sell my house fast

Call St Genix Fast House Buyers on 0800 316 7600 to stop repossession with a quick home sale. We are experts in fast house sales and will buy direct, for cash. That means that you get a quick, guaranteed sale. With a sale to St Genix, you get:

A guaranteed sale within four weeks

No need to pay an estate agent

Lower legal fees

A fast way to stop repossession

We promise to complete the purchase of your home within a month. We can do the deal more quickly or more slowly if you need us to. We are happy to work to your timetable so that you can repay your debt when you need to. You don’t even need to leave home.

How can I stay at home when I sell my house fast

If you are concerned about how to stop repossession, then you don’t need any additional worry. If you sell to an estate agent, you have to move out on completion date. When you sell to us, you don’t have to be homeless. You can decide if you want to stay in your home. Just ask about our rent back arrangement. You can rent your home at a fair market figure and avoid unnecessary expense and stressful disruptions.

St Genix Fast House Buyers have expertise in helping clients to stop repossession with a quick home sale. We will buy your property and complete the sale within a month. For a free valuation, call us now on 0800 316 7600.



Rent Back Fast

One of the most unpleasant consequences of failing to pay your mortgage is “repossession” of your property. This is a problem that is affecting an increasing number of homeowners throughout the country.

The first notification will be from the lender warning of the consequences should you not keep up your payments on the mortgage. If your mortgage payments are not being kept up to date then the lender may decide to approach the courts to apply for a repossession order.

The threat of repossession is something that a growing number of individuals are facing today. This can be put down to a number of factors that will on the most part, include borrowers who overstretch themselves financially and subsequently struggle to meet their monthly secured commitments.

Runaway property prices have too played a part as this has made homes in many areas unaffordable for first-time buyers. Many stretch their finances to get a first foot on the ladder. Some will see this as an essential means for home ownership.

Debt campaigners have highlighted in recent months that a growing number of borrowers were unable to meet their mortgage repayments, with many of them first-time buyers who only recently climbed onto the property ladder.

The Citizens Advice Bureau said that nearly a million people had missed one or more mortgage repayment in the past year. Over two million said they were concerned that their finances may not stretch to cover their monthly debts.

Missing payments on the mortgage or secured loan is a serious issue which could lead to arrears and possibly repossession if matters are not dealt with.

The repossession process will start by the lender applying to the courts for a repossession order. It is unlikely that the courts will grant this on the first hearing. They will probably grant a suspended repossession order.

This suspended repossession order means that that the individual involved must abide by the courts ruling. This will include having an agreed a payment in place with the lender to reduce the arrears balance over a period of time.

If these payments are not being met, the lender can apply for the repossession court order. In this case the courts are more likely to take the side of the lender & grant the repossession court order.

If the repossession order is granted, the lender will attempt to sell your property quickly to recover their money. They typically use auctions and estate agents to sell your property, often discounted to attract quick buyers. When the property is sold, the lender’s account is cleared first.

Any surplus will be repaid to the homeowner. However, if there is any shortfall, the lender will attempt to recover it from the individual involved for a period of up to 12 years!

The important points to remember is that without taking action, these problems do not just go away. At the earliest possible stage the lender must be informed of any financial issues that may affect the monthly payments of the mortgage. Do not ignore letters, especially court papers and court hearings.

If this does happen to you, then you must contact the lender immediately and explain your situation to them. It may be possible that you able to come to an arrangement to ease the situation.

If you are having serious problems then another option to consider is remortgaging. If you have enough equity in your property then you might be able to switch lenders and start afresh.

So whatever stage of the repossession process you are, you do have options that you can explore. Just make sure you act quickly and keep your lender informed.



Rent Back

When your debts become too much for you, you may need to avoid repossession. If this is you, get in touch with St Genix Fast House Buyers. When you’re in debt, then you are probably stressed out and your health may suffer. It’s a mistake to ignore debt problems, because they won’t go away. The people you owe will keep trying to get their money back and everything you own and the roof over your head could be at risk.

Do You Need A Loan?

‘I am facing repossession an and I need a loan.’ If this thought has crossed your mind, then talk to St Genix Fast House Buyers. We will tell you how to avoid repossession. You can obtain a fast loan if repossession seems likely. All you need to do is sell your home for cash. With our help, many clients have been able to avoid repossession. We would be happy to help you do the same.

Time is of the essence when you need to avoid repossession. It can take several months to sell your home through an estate agent. That means that under current repossession law, your lenders could claim your home before the open market sale is complete. When you sell to St Genix, we make sure that the timing suits you. It’s a direct sale and it’s a cash sale. That’s why you should come to us when you need to avoid repossession.

There are other reasons, too. When we agree a sale, we will help you solve your problems with debt by talking to your creditors, meeting them, or writing to them. We can help you to reach an agreement with them. We’ll even go to court to help you to avoid repossession. You may need this service so that the court will know that you are making a real effort to repay your debt.

We are happy to support you, as we know you will find this period stressful. You don’t even have to worry about bills, as we are happy to advance you some cash. With our fast house sale you get:

A private and discreet sale

A guaranteed sale within a month

Cash in hand

No fees for estate agents

Reduced legal fees

You can even stay in your home when the sale has been completed. All you need is one of our rent back deals. The rental figure is fair and you can avoid the disruption of having to move.

St Genix Fast House Buyers specialise in assisting clients to avoid repossession. We guarantee to buy your home within four weeks for cash. To begin, you just need a free valuation, so call us today on 0800 316 7600.



Quick House Sale

Ok folks, here it is, the down and dirty on how to sell your PA house yourself quickly and keep thousands in your pocket (by not paying real estate commissions!)

First and foremost, you’re probably wondering how the heck do I know what I’m talking about, right?

I’ve been investing in Pennsylvania real estate for 9 years now and I’ve invested in all different facets of real estate from buying and financing mobile homes to buying bank-owned properties and fixing them up and renting them out to just helping folks get rid of an ugly, fixer-upper house that they didn’t want. I’ve been a landlord (still am,) I’ve fixed and flipped properties (still do,) I’ve fixed and kept properties (still do,) and I’ve wholesaled properties (still do.)

Also, I’m a licensed real estate agent with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and I’ve been licensed for 5 years plus now with Keller Williams Realty Group (now located in Limerick, PA.) And I’m also a member of the National Association of Realtors, the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors and the Surban West Realtors Association. Sooooo that makes me, yep you guessed it, a Realtor as well (Didn’t know there was a difference between being a real estate agent and a Realtor, huh?)

Ok so now that all of that is out of the way, let me tell you how you can sell your Pennsylvania house yourself quickly and keep thousands of money in your pocket. I’m going to give you an outline to follow and if you follow it to the T, you should be alright!

Do Your Research About Your Homes Value

You need to find out what your house is worth so you can put a price tag on it. How can you find this out?

-Interview a handful of real estate agents (at least 3) and get Comps (Comparables of houses that have sold like yours) from them. Do not tell them what YOU think your house is worth, just let them do their thing and present you with their evidence of what they feel your house is worth.

-Check public records if you have online access or if you know how to do this at the courthouse yourself (or if you have a real estate agent friend that will allow you to look over their shoulder as they access their public records on the MLS.)

-Drive around your neighborhood and call on ALL of the for sale signs that you see. If they are having open houses too then GO TO THEM.

-Research your local papers classified section for houses for sale in your area. Call the numbers and get the facts on the house (remember, you’re comparing all of these houses to yours.)

-Hop on craigslist.org and reseach the real estate for sale ads there that are in your area. Alot of times folks will have pictures and even videos in here, so you can actually see the houses. If there isn’t much info then email or call the person who is selling their house.

-Go to Realtor.com and research houses that are for sale in your area. Again, if there isn’t much info, then call the agent up and ask for some info about the house.

-Check out zillow and cyberhomes and see what they come up with as values for your house. Also, the comps that they list, drive past the houses to compare at least the outside of your house and the sold house. (I wouldn’t put as much weight on these 2 sites, but there is definitely more information here for you.)

 Now, you should have a good idea of what you could sell your house for. By the way, when looking at public records, comps from agents and places like zillow and cyberhomes you only really want to look at sold houses within the past 6 months. Some folks will tell you to go back a year, but I think that’s even too far. Honestly, in this market, I’d say look at them in the past 3 months!

Ok so you have a value in mind. Well I need you to be honest with yourself about the value and how you came up with it, ok? Does the value indicate a house that is in pristine condition and your house isn’t that pristine? Does the value indicate a fixer-upper price and your house doesn’t need any work? Those are the things you have to think about when getting the comps from all of your resources above.

Make note of the condition and location of all of the comps that you get from your resources above then you have to HONESTLY compare it to your house. Honestly being the keyword here. If your house smells like dog, well admit that to yourself and know that it’s going to lower the price of your house. If your house is right next to an active railroad track, well don’t ignore the obvious and know that it will lower the price of your house as well. If your house is totally trashed and needs a lot of work, please, please, please don’t think that you are going to get maybe a couple thousand less than what a pristine house sold for. That is UNREALISTIC!

And always keep in mind the type of real estate market we are in. Right now at the writing of this blog posting, here in Pennsylvania we are in a BUYERS MARKET. Please recognize that and adjust your gameplan (and more importantly) your thinking accordingly. If you don’t adjust your gameplan and thinking accordingly, believe me your house will sit there and it will NOT sell (until you come to your senses.)

Market Your House Like Crazy

Your house being for sale at the prefect price doesn’t mean anything if nobody in the world knows that it’s for sale, does it?

So here’s what you need to do to market your house and to tell the entire world (or at least folks in the Pennsylvania area) that it’s for sale.

- Break out your digital camera, cell phone, disposable camera or what you have and take pics of your house. Outside front, back, side, yard, living room, dining room, kitchen, etc. you get the picture. If you have a video camera, you can do a walk-thru of your place with a video camera too. The pictures are a NECESSITY but the video is not. Upload them to your computer and resize them because you’re going to need them in future steps.

 - Place a for sale sign in your front yard and rear and side yards if you have them.  I get mine from banditsigns.com  Make sure you get the 18 x 24’s and make sure you pick up some metal stakes (get extra to use in the next step) so you can stick them into the ground. By the way, please do not under any circumstances forget to put your phone number on your signs when you get them home. (Sounds silly to say that doesn’t it? But some folks have done it.)

- Now here is a tactic that will get your phone to ring off the hook of potential buyers. You need to buy anywhere from 10 to 50 blank corrugated plastic signs (you can get these from banditsigns.com too.) They should be 18 x 12 in size and they can be any color you want, but white probably works the best and is the cheapest. After you get them home you’ll need to get a thick, black, permanent marker. When you have that you want to write in your own handwriting with the marker on the signs the following:

 3 bed/2 bath House Must Sell! Pottstown Area, $150k 610-555-1212

Of course, you’re going to change out the information above with your appropriate information for your home. If you house is a fixer upper try something like this:

3 bed/2 bath Needs Work! Must Sell Quickly. Area, Price, Phone Number

You can use any combination of wording, but make it seem URGENT that you need to sell. Now you need to place these signs all around your neighborhood. Put them at popular intersections, at popular stores (like Walmart, WaWa, etc.) and just put them in heavy traffic locations. You want extras because some of these will get taken down, some will blow away and some will just become dirty and ugly so you’ll want to replace them with fresh ones. I promise you that you will get calls.

 - Next you’re going to want to create what’s called a Postlet. Go to Postlets.com and create an account. It is free. You’ll want to create a postlet about your house. Post your pictures, list all of the features, write up a nice description. People want to know about square footage, school districts, beds and baths, taxes, etc. You can upgrade to Postlets Plus and this will allow you to post more pictures on your postlet and also allow you to post a video, but honestly, I don’t think it’s necessary. But it can only help you market your house.

- Now, you want to go to craigslist.org and post your house for sale there too. This is free also. You’re going to want to post in the portion of Craigslist that’s for your area. Most of you will be either posting in the Philadelphia section or the Reading section of craigslist. You then go to housing and real estate for sale. Follow the steps, it’s pretty easy. Also, there is a craigslist section in your Postlets, so you can merely click that link and copy and paste the code they give you into your craigslist post and a nice little ad will appear. Don’t forget that you’re craigslist ad is NOT posted until you get the email from them and publish it. That is the final step.

 Those few things should get your phone ringing, but since you are saving thousands by not using a real estate agent you should really market even more. So here are some extra things you can do that will cost some money.

 - Place a classified ad in your local paper. There are all kinds of papers that will work. You can place an ad in a daily paper, weekly paper, monthly paper, throw away papers like the Penny Pincher, etc. You can even try them all if you like. The smaller papers will be more cost effective. And keep in mind that you do not want to just run the ad for a day. That’s a waste of time and money. I suggest running it at least from Thursday to Monday for a month. See what kind of action you get and go from there. If you are under major budget constraints then you can work out a game plan that works with your pocket book. Generally, your ad will look something like this:

Downingtown, 3 bd/2 ba twin for sale by owner. New roof, central air. Must sell. 610-555-1212

Of course, insert the info that is appropriate to your home. You can even use the same type of ad that you handwrote on your blank corrugated plastic signs. Remember that with classified ads you are pretty much paying per word. One word of caution: don’t try to create crazy abbreviations for your ad so you can fit more words in. A lot of folks may not know what your abbreviation means so it may confuse them and keep them from calling. The classified ad rep from the paper will sometimes suggest abbreviations for words to make things fit, just be cautious that it is a standard abbreviation that most folks know what it means like br for bedrooms or ba for bathrooms. Don’t get fancy with abbreviations, trust me. 

- Post an ad on ForSaleByOwner.com (or any other type of FSBO site) They have all different pricing levels starting at $89.95 (which I don’t like because it’s a monthly fee) all the way up to an $899 one time fee. The basic plan is pretty decent, it gets you an unlimited listing on their site until it’s sold and an awesome thing about their ads is that you get a private voicemail system (so you don’t have to give out your home phone number!) Just so you know, the Gold package for a $699 one time fee is definitely worth checking out. It’s the cheapest of the packages that gets you listed on the MLS (multiple listing service, which is what all real estate agents use to list properties and find properties for their buyers) and on realtor.com Please keep in mind though, if you got with an MLS option, you are going to have to pay a commission to the agent that brings you a buyer (typically between 2 to 3%, but commissions are negotiable and you state when you pick your package the commission you are willing to pay.) Keep in mind, if you make the commission for the agent with a potential buyer they may not even show your house. So, personally, I’d stay within the 2 to 3% mark.

If you’re wondering do you have to list your property on the MLS for sale, the answer is no. I just want to make you aware that the MLS is what over 32,000 real estate professionals in this area use to view properties for sale. That’s a HUGE market that you’d be missing. But it’s ok, the basic package will at least get you in front of folks who are searching for a house to buy for themselves.

- This marketing method may be a little more than most of you want to get in to, but you can send out postcards to either folks in your area or to renters in your area.  At vistaprint.com you can get some free postcards and more for relatively cheap.

You’re going to most likely want to purchase a list of renters or homeowners in your area from a list broker (you can search on google or look in your phone book.) For homeowners in your area you can get their names and addresses from public records and that is free, especially if you go to the courthouse. Just get a simple House For Sale postcard or Why Rent When You Can Own Postcard? And send them out.

- A free alternative to use is the same kind of House for Sale or Why Rent When You Can Own ad for the postcard above but print it out and make flyers at home. (Btw, if you are savvy with your computer you can even print out postcards.) A flyer that I like to put together to hand out to the neighbors on the same block as a house I have for sale is the “Pick Your Own Neighbor” flyer. Folks love that and you never know? They could have a friend or family member that is looking to move into the neigborhood. Your general flyers you can post in laundromats, grocery stores, around rental apartments, etc.

- One last free marketing tip that I forgot to mention is word of mouth. Don’t forget to tell everyone you know that your house is for sale. You never know who knows someone that is looking to buy.

When You Get The Calls Coming In

A lot of folks are just gonna wanna know the price at first if you don’t have it listed already. Then they may want to set up an appointment to check the house out. If you’re not careful you could be wasting ALOT of time. Here’s what I do:

- First I tell interested folks to do a drive-by of the house. If they like it after driving by I tell them to call me back to set up an appointment.

- If they call me back to set up an appointment I ask them if they are pre-approved for a mortgage. If they say yes, I inform them that they must send me their pre-approval letter before I will set up an appointment to show them the inside of the home (be nice about this, not rude.) If they say no, then I tell them that they must be pre-approved before I will set up an appointment to show the inside of the home. I generally will refer them to a mortgage person or a small, local bank that I use. (You should do the same. Hook yourself up with a small, local bank in your area that will get people pre-approved to buy your house. You can do this with a mortgage person too, if you have one in mind.)

- If they pass all of the above then I will set up an appointment. PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS. These are strangers that you are letting into your home. Always have more than one adult home when having showings and it’s a good idea to have a sign-in sheet for folks to sign and you should make them even show their driver’s license or some form of i.d. I know that you may feel uneasy asking this stuff, but it’s for your own protection.

Word of Caution: If you ever, ever feel uneasy about someone that you are talking to on the phone, do not, under any circumstances let them into your home, especially when you are alone. Women..use that women’s intuition that you have. Fellas, use that gut feeling that you can get.

(This is probably the scariest part about selling your house yourself, in my opinion.)

- If folks are interested in your house then write up an agreement with them! (we’ll get into that in a few.)

- If they aren’t interested, ask them if they could give you some feedback so that you can improve your chances of selling your home. Tell them to be honest as you won’t be upset or take anything personally (and hold true to that!)

 When You Find A Qualified Buyer

After you find a qualified buyer you want to write up an agreement of sale. I’m going to assume that you don’t know anything about an agreement of sale or about how to fill one out. With that in mind, my advice is to then NOT DO IT.

- You should have a competent real estate attorney that you use to help you draw up an agreement of sale and that helps you with all of the rules and laws associated with selling your house (like fair housing laws, seller disclosure forms, etc.) The real estate attorney can even do the closing for you and your buyer (they will take care of EVERYTHING associated with getting your transaction done and getting you your check in your hand.)

- If you know how to fill out an agreement of sale then you should have a title company that you want to work with to get your transaction to the closing table and get your check in your hand. They can help you with any questions that you may have, but they may not be permitted to give you legal advice in regards to rules and laws regarding selling your house, but ask, because a lot of them have real estate lawyers within their company that will be happy to help.

 Now take you big check to the bank baby and you can now say “I can save tons of money on commissions because I can sell my house myself in Pennsylvania!”



Sell House Quick