When the overall economy starts to drop, people start looking for ways to cut corners and save as much money as possible. One way people are doing this is by selling their home themselves. For Sale by Owner, or FSBO for short, has become a viable option for people looking to sell their home in today’s economy.

With all the online tools, people feel like they can sell their home without the need for a real estate agent. Many websites have caught on to this and have popped up to offer help to people who are trying to sell their home for themselves so that they can hopefully avoid the pitfalls.

Another time when the FSBO method is very popular is when someone cannot pay the 6% commission that comes with selling through a real estate agent. If the price of your home is equal to or less than what you need to pay to pay off the loan, you may not be able to pay any additional expenses out of pocket.

The FSBO method is often the first step many homeowners take on the road to selling their home. With this in mind, you will find many sites offering low rates to help this segment of the market before the homeowner decides to use the traditional way of using a real estate agent. Many sites that offer FSBO will include some or all of the following features.

Basic listing functions including a link for a virtual tour

• A template for a printable flyer.
• Workbooks to assist the owner in his research of what he needs to know and what he needs to do before attempting a sale.
• Listings that are compared to listings on a real estate agency site
• Offering a flat rate to publish the house for as long as necessary, with no additional weekly or monthly add-ons
• Price reports to help you properly value your home
• Typical garden signs much like those used by realtors
• There is no limit to the number of images in your ad
• Access to a free consultation line for questions

With all of these services, it’s no wonder these types of sites are quickly becoming the first call people make when they begin the process of selling their home. You have a better chance of selling your FSBO home if you can be patient and do a little research on your own.

The key to success focuses on why the owner wants to sell their home. If they simply need to increase the size for a new addition to the family, reduce the size after the children have gone to college, change locations closer to or further from the city, or simply for a general change of scenery, the patience may be the key. .

However, if you move because you are changing jobs, marriage, divorce, or any other reason, the move should be more immediate. In the past, companies that wanted to hire a worker paid for the house and relocation expenses. Due to the downturn in the economy, this has become much less popular because companies are trying to save money and quality people are looking for work everywhere.

FSBO is a viable way to put the home in the spotlight and the market without the fees of real estate agents. Then if FSBO doesn’t work out, the homeowner has the option to register with a qualified real estate agency to sell the home and pick up where FSBO support left off. Your decision on how to sell your home depends entirely on your situation.