ForSaleByOwner.com: Blog

For Sale By Owner Tips: 4 Ways to Boost Exposure and Get Noticed By Buyers

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Hennessey) — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:43:00 +0000

When it comes to advertising your home for sale, there's no such thing as too much exposure: You want your listing to show up every place that a buyer might look. While 93 percent of today's house hunters start their search online, don't underestimate the power of traditional marketing techniques. Here are four for sale by owner tips to boost your listing's exposure and get your home noticed by buyers.

1. Get more eyes on it. Put your listing in front of as many people as possible by posting it to Craigslist and your social networks (specifically: Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest). Ask your friends to share your listing on their social profiles, too. This is one of the simplest ways to increase your listing's exposure (and as a bonus: it's free!).

2. Invest in a high-quality yard sign. You'd be surprised at how many people buy houses they discover while taking a drive or a walk. A visible yard sign is essential for capturing the interest of casual passers-by. Make sure the sign includes at least two ways buyers can get more information: your phone number, email address or listing number on ForSaleByOwner.com.

3. Make your listing sheet shine. Refresh your marketing materials, particularly your online and paper listings, every few months to highlight the season or the most recent changes you've made. Emphasize the best features of your house, and use photos that are well lit to showcase rooms that are spacious and uncluttered.

4. Enlist help. Hold an Open House for your friends, family and neighbors so they can boast about your home to people they know. To entice your circle to spread the word, consider offering a finder's fee to anyone who brings you the person who buys your property. It doesn't have to be much, but a finder's fee of few hundred dollars can be very motivating.

What are your tips for attracting buyer attention?

5 Most Popular Homes For Sale By Owner in April

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Hennessey) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:20:00 +0000

Looks like more great news about the housing market for those of you who are selling a home or soon will be: According to CNN Money, in the past year, home prices have increased in 92 of the country's 100 largest metro areas. The U.S. Census Bureau is also reporting that sales of new single-family homes in March were up 18.5 percent compared to last year. Need more proof that we might be experiencing a return to a seller's market? Two of our five most popular homes in last month are already sold or under contract!

1. 200 Copper Hill Drive, Youngsville, LA 70592
Price: $186,500
Highlights: Up to $2,000 in closing assistance offered from preferred lender; neighborhood includes stocked ponds and a park.

2. 490 Bryan Trail, New Lenox, IL 60451
Price: $459,000
Highlights: Features a finished basement, bar, Jacuzzi, and wrap-around porch. Currently under contract.

3. 417 Sherwood Drive, Beaver, PA 15009
Price: $248,400
Highlights: Two-story foyer, walk-in pantry and finished basement. Great school district with a bus stop directly in front of the house.

4. 40 Rainbow Ave., Staten Island, NY 10302
Price: $424,999
Highlights: Move-in ready and newly built (2007), features include in-ground heated pool, new appliances and a master bedroom suite. Recently sold!

5. 1218 Oakhill Drive, Freeport, IL 61032
Price: $153,500
Highlights: Features include large, multilevel deck, new master bath, new kitchen counters and flooring and new paint.

Which of these homes is your favorite?

7 Tips to Help You Store Extra Furniture when Staging

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Hennessey) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:38:00 +0000

One tenant of successful staging is that it's best to rid your home of personal items and create as much open space as possible. Placing extra furniture in storage is a great way to free up space while you're showing your home, but before you drive off to your local self-storage facility, you'll want to exercise a little care first. Our guest blogger Jenn Young has provided us with seven tips to help you protect and store extra furniture so it's ready for you when you're ready to move into your new house.

Cover your furniture with a drop cloth or canvas to keep dust and debris off. Bags designed especially for furniture may be available at the storage facility or from a local furniture store.
Keep furniture off the ground using furniture blocks or wood pallets, and for cloth-covered items, make sure that no portion of the fabric touches the ground.
Disassemble tables, chairs and beds before storing. If they cannot break apart, stack the chairs on top of tables. Keep mattresses and sofas upright or on end to save space.
Use cardboard to protect art frames and mirrors during storage. Take special considerations for the corners, as these are easily damaged.
When storing a dresser, stack lightweight items on top and fragile, awkward or small items inside the drawers. Use a cotton drop cloth to protect the top of the dresser if damage is a concern.
Use a protective, storage-safe furniture spray (as directed) on all furniture before placing it in storage to protect the finish and integrity of wood or fabrics.
Don't seal anything inside of a plastic bag. If plastic is used, leave at least one end open for ventilation. Condensation or "sealed in" moisture may lead to mold or mildew growth.

Read more about how to store your extra furniture when staging.

Jenn Young is a freelance writer working with Uncle Bob's. She is passionate about beautifying her home, and she currently writes about anything and everything related to storage units.

17 Simple Green Cleaning Solutions

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Hennessey) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:58:00 +0000

It's time to tackle those spring cleaning projects you've been avoiding and celebrate Earth Day by using eco-friendly cleaning products when you prepare your home for a showing. We've shared green cleaning solutions on our blog before and were pleased to get so many comments with your go-to alternatives, like this tip from Seymour: "I use toothpaste to keep brass and metal fixtures sparkling clean. Toothpaste is really cheap compared to other metal polishers." Here are our favorite all-natural cleaning solutions and recipes (and some of yours!).

Vinegar. Because vinegar is acidic, it's a great cleaning agent. Here are five places you can use it in your home:

Make chrome sink and bath fixtures shine by removing lime buildup with a paste made from 2 tablespoons salt and 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar.
Deodorize your kitchen drain by pouring down 1 cup of baking soda; then, pour down 1 cup of hot white distilled vinegar. Wait five minutes, then run hot water to rinse the drain.
Clean and deodorize a microwave by placing a mixture (in a microwave-safe bowl) of 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar and 1/2 cup water in the microwave and heating it until the mixture is boiling. Crusty food will come loose, and odors will be removed. Finish by wiping the microwave down with a clean, dry towel.
Get a clean, spotless shower by pouring vinegar into a spray bottle and spraying it all over your tub and tiles. Allow this to sit for 15 minutes, then wipe down the tub and rinse. For stubborn stains, try a mix of lemon juice, baking soda and vinegar. Work the paste over the stains with a sponge, then rinse.
To clean and rejuvenate wood cabinets, try a solution of equal parts vinegar and water. Use a sponge to remove grease and buildup. (Avoid using steel wool or scrub brushes since they can damage the wood finish.) A paste of water and baking soda can be applied to remove any stubborn stains. To restore shine, try a mix of 1/4 cup olive oil and 1 cup vinegar. Using a spray bottle, spray your cabinets with the solution and buff with a soft cloth.

"You just can't go past white vinegar on stainless steel — it cleans and shines beautifully and will help to leave a great impression on prospective buyers." —Jonathan

Baking soda. Baking soda is another great natural product that is probably in products you already use, like kitty litter, deodorant and laundry detergent. Here are four new tips for using baking soda to keep your home clean and smelling fresh:

Sprinkle the bottom of your garbage can with baking soda to deodorize it. You can also sprinkle it in the bottom of every new bag you put in to keep each new load of garbage from getting too smelly.
Clean silver using a paste made from three parts baking soda and one part water. Rub the paste onto each piece of silver, then rinse with warm water and dry with a clean, soft cloth.
Clean kids' toys with a mixture of 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 quart warm water. Submerge the toys in this mixture, then rinse them with clean water and dry with a clean cloth.
To clean and deodorize your microwavable food containers, rinse them out with a solution of one part water and one part baking soda.

"My bathroom must-haves for cleaning are baking soda and vinegar. They're cheap, readily available and they do the work." —Melanie

Lemon juice. High in citric acid and low in pH, lemon juice is one of the best natural cleaners around. As an added bonus, lemon juice smells fresh. Here are four wonderful ways lemon juice can clean and brighten your home.

Use diluted lemon juice to cleans stains from, and kill bacteria on, cutting boards. Rub the lemon juice into the stains and watch as they disappear. Tough stains might need to sit overnight.
Make an even more powerful degreaser out of your dish soap with the addition of few drops of lemon juice.
Put a mixture of water and 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice into a spray bottle, and use it to wash windows and clean mirrors.
Rub half of a cut lemon on shower doors to get rid of hard water stains.

4. Salt. Not only is salt an excellent scouring agent, but it also works as a catalyst that improves and accelerates the effectiveness of other cleaning agents (like vinegar). We've compiled four unusual places salt can work for you:

Get a slow drain moving again by pouring down 1/2 cup salt and following with a quart of hot water. Repeat if necessary.
Clean cast iron pans by sprinkling salt in the bottom and scrubbing with a clean, dry cloth.
Rub down white wicker furniture with a saltwater solution, and let it dry in the sun to keep the wicker from yellowing.
Remove ring stains left by beverage glasses on tables by making a paste of vegetable oil and salt and rubbing the stains gently with the paste. Let the paste sit for an hour or so, then wipe it off.

What green/eco-friendly cleaning solutions do you use and love? We want tips!

Don't Miss Open House Weekend on April 20-21

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Hennessey) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 17:18:00 +0000

Here's your chance to be a part of something big this month: Join realtors across the country as they participate in the 2013 Nationwide Open House Weekend on April 20-21. This event couldn't come at a better time. Now that tax season is over, buyers will be exploring your neighborhood with their tax refunds in their pockets. Take advantage of this house-hunting momentum, and invite them in!

"By owner" open houses will benefit from traffic—online and on foot—generated by this nationwide campaign. The National Association of Realtors 2012 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers reports that 45 percent of all buyers use open houses as a source in their home-search process. And 46 percent of buyers who went to open houses found them during internet searches.

This weekend full of open houses offers buyers a stress-free way to tour homes for sale; for sellers, the weekend provides extra visibility with little effort. And there's still time for you to take part in this open house event that brings buyers and sellers together.

Three Ways to Advertise Your Open House Next Week

Advertise your open house on your ForSaleByOwner.com listing
Promote your open house using flyers, email and word of mouth—ask your neighbors to help spread the word
Use social media to create buzz before and during your open house

Open houses open doors to home sales. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more open house tips all week long.

Will there be snacks and beverages at your open house? Share your favorite tips below.

5 Steps to Prep Your Home for the Selling Season

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Hennessey) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:18:00 +0000

The National Association of Realtors' Research Department recently released their Confidence Index based on home selling data from February. Among the latest information about the state of the real estate market, it was found that the national average for the number of days a home sits on the market is 74 days. The selling season is heating up! Get your home ready to list for sale by owner, and prepare for home-selling success with these five steps.

1. Determine your game plan. Set up a realistic timeline, and allocate sufficient funds for necessary renovations, your future sale and potential move. Use our start-to-finish timeline to help with the planning.

2. Decide what to DIY. Get a professional home inspection done early so you can identify problem areas and decide what you'll repair yourself and what you'll hire professionals to remedy. If you can't fix everything, you can incorporate the knowledge of those problems into your asking price. Tackle these five most-overlooked home inspection problems.

3. Set the stage. Did you know that staged properties generate an 8-10% higher return on the sale price? Staged homes tend to sell in a shorter period of time, which increases your odds of selling at a higher price. Find out which staging strategies will make the most impact.

4. Polish your listing. Review your marketing materials, and consider asking a friend to lend his or her opinion, too. Are you emphasizing the best and most appealing features of your house? Include well-lit photos of every room that make the rooms appear spacious and uncluttered. Use these practical photo-taking tips to create professional-looking listing photos.

5. Assemble your team. You're not alone when you sell by owner. You'll still need to rely on the expertise of these three key experts: appraiser, mortgage lender and attorney or title company.

What tips do you have for getting a home ready to list?

5 Last-Minute Tax Tips for Home Sellers

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Hennessey) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:56:00 +0000

With just two weeks left until April 15 (that's the deadline to file your 2012 taxes*), it's crunch time for all of us taxpayers out there. If you've sold a home in the past year, or if you're planning to sell a home in 2013, these tax tips will help you understand what tax benefits you're eligible for and which ones to be aware of when you're filing.

1. If you make money from sale of your primary residence (the one you live in most of the time), you may qualify to exclude up to $250,000 of that gain from your income. And if you file a joint return with your spouse, you may exclude up to $500,000 of that gain. You can't deduct a loss from the sale of your home.

2. You're eligible for that exclusion if you've owned and used your home as your main home for a period amounting to least two years out of the five years prior to its sale.

3. For complete eligibility requirements, limitations on the exclusion amount and exceptions to the two-year rule, visit IRS.gov and search for Publication 523 PDF. This document will help you figure the net cost of the home you sold, the gain/loss on the sale and any gain that's eligible for exclusion from your income.

4. If you received the first-time homebuyer credit and put it towards buying the home that you sold or will be selling, you're required to repay the credit if you're no longer using that as your principal residence (and it's within three years of the date purchase). Repayment of the credit will be due with your tax return for the year the home stopped being your principle residence, using Form 5405 from IRS.gov.

5. When you move, don't forget to update your address with the IRS and the U.S. Postal Service to ensure you receive any refunds or tax-related mail. Use Form 8822 from IRS.gov to notify the IRS, and to notify the USPS, just go online and fill out a Change of Address Form.

*Note: If you can't file your taxes by the April 15 deadline, you still have time to file an extension, which will give you until October 15, 2013.

Want more tips on making filing less taxing? The IRS put together a list of the top 10 tax tips.

Tell us: Where are you planning to spend your tax refund?

5 Spring Staging Tips with the Best ROI

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Hennessey) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 19:37:00 +0000

What if we told you there is a marketing technique that not only helps sell your home quickly, but also has the best return on investment (ROI)? Staging is one of the top five home improvements real estate professionals recommend to their clients because the average ROI is 196%, according to HomeGain's 2012 National Home Improvement Survey. Even though a small staging budget can increase the sale price of a home, staging is often the last thing sellers think of doing. Get your home ready to sell this spring with five staging tips that pay off big time.

1. Size Up the Situation
If you're like most people, you've probably accumulated quite a pile of things throughout the years – pictures, books, knickknacks, toys, pet gear, hobby materials. And if you're like us, contemplating packing those things for a move, or organizing them for a staging, can feel overwhelming. Before you stress yourself out, ask a friend whose decorating taste you admire to tour your house with you and give you constructive criticism about where you need to pare back for staging purposes and which things you should ditch altogether. Make sure to remove furniture or decor that might prevent buyers from seeing the best features of your house.

2. Assess Your Outdoor Space
Walk from the street to your front door and note what you need to clean and fix outdoors. Polish or replace worn door hardware or your mailbox, and make sure to fix winter damage to shrubs, porches and trim. Plant colorful annuals as early as you dare, and put in lots of them. Little starter plants won't pack the punch you need to attract a closer look from potential buyers driving past, so in this case, go big or go home.

3. Dress for Spring, Sparingly
If you don't have any allergies to flowers, keep fresh cut flowers in your home to make it look homey and lived-in. Beyond that, take note of your usual spring decor — if it includes four leaf clovers in your yard or Easter eggs on your kitchen counter, consider keeping it boxed up for another year. Remember, your goal is to create an environment that appeals to all types of buyers, so decor that's specific to your cultural or religious background might be off-putting to those who don't share your history.

4. Fix Your Flaws First
Chances are, buyers won't be fooled by clever staging that camouflages worn-out appliances and systems. Plus, these issues will come up in a closing home inspection. If you're not sure that all electric, plumbing and structural work complies with municipal codes, hire a home inspector to check things out. If you have to bring your house into code compliance, better to do so on your own terms with contractors you choose than to have to deal with it in the midst of negotiating a sale.

5. Focus on the Fundamentals
If your appliances are more than 10 years old, they might look outdated, even if they're perfectly functional. Tour a few open houses in your area to see what finishes and functions are commanding top price. Concentrate on the basics: a high quality stove, refrigerator, dishwasher and solid faucet. Don't get carried away with gimmicky add-ons such as built-in espresso makers, which are costly and have limited appeal, since you probably won't get your money back on those.

Have you ever staged your home before? We'd love to hear your tips!

Spring Into Selling Season

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Hennessey) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:29:00 +0000

We don't want to jinx it, but we could we be looking at a real seller's market. A limited number of homes for sale and rising home prices are driving more buyers to market early to take advantage of low mortgage interest rates. Before they pounce on your house, use these real estate insider tips to make sure you're prepared for spring selling season.

1. Good News! More Americans are signing contracts to purchase homes than they have in over two years. Check out last month's most popular listings, and see which homes caught the attention of house hunters. Once you're properly inspired, get our secrets to a great property listing, and refresh your listing and description so they appeal to springtime buyers.

2. Is Your Price Right? Setting the right price is critical. So is understanding how much buyers are likely to offer. Get a grip on both with our Interactive Pricing Guide. Loaded with estimators, lists and resources for gaining insight into today’s real estate market, this comprehensive guide will help you set an asking price that attracts buyers.

Print this: 9 ways to price your home right from the start »

3. Read the Buyer's Mind. Conditions are aligning for a strong start to the spring home selling market. Anticipating what buyers want and knowing how to answer their questions will help you close the deal.

4. The Art of Staging: You only get one chance at a first impression, so make sure your home looks its best when potential buyers walk through the door. Avoid the most common staging mistakes with these tips on how to stage your home.

5. Don't Sell Yourself Short. From a higher sale price to the potential for monthly income, answer these questions and get as much out of seller financing as your buyer.

How are you getting ready for the spring selling season?

5 Most Popular Homes for Sale By Owner in February

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Hennessey) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 23:56:00 +0000

More great news for home sellers! The AP is reporting that more Americans signed contracts to purchase homes in January than they have in over two years. Now more than ever, it pays to take note of what types of homes buyers are interested in so you can make improvements, update your property listing, do a bit of staging and get your house ready for spring, when the prime selling season kicks off. Here are the five most popular homes for sale on our site in February.

1. 1613 Dandelion Lane, West Bend, WI 53090
Price: $229,000
Highlights: 4 beds, 3 full baths, completely finished basement with built-in wet-bar

2. 5986 Porter Lane, Noblesville, IN 46062
Price: $279,900
Highlights: 4 beds, 2.5 baths, custom walk-in closet in master bedroom, two-level deck with sunken hot tub

3. 301 Wills Way, Bossier City, LA 71112
Price: $369,900
Highlights: 5 beds, 4 baths, large open floor plan with 12-ft. ceilings, built-in sound system indoors and out

4. 14123 Ridgewood Drive, Little Rock, AR 72211
Price: $175,000
Highlights: 4 beds, 2.5 baths, master suite with walk-in closet, 10 minutes from downtown Little Rock

5. 216 Fernwood Drive, Evansville, IN 47711
Price: $180,000
Highlights: 3 beds, 2.5 baths, 3.5 car garage; master bath features his and hers sinks and shower with a built-in steam unit

Which home is your favorite?

How to Use Social Media to Sell Your Home: Pinterest Marketing

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Hennessey) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:32:00 +0000

Pinterest is one of the fastest growing social networks around and drives more referral traffic than Google, LinkedIn and YouTube combined. According to the Search Engine Journal, Americans on Pinterest spend an average of 1 hour and 17 minutes on it every day, and the highly visible nature of the site makes it the perfect place for you to market your home. Here are four winning Pinterest marketing ideas to help you sell your home fast.

1. Give your listing 'pin power.' Pin your listing to one of your existing boards, or pin it to a new board that you create just with photos of your listing. The site that you pin from is where your pin will direct users, so make sure to pin photos directly from your listing so that anyone who clicks on your images will be taken straight there.

2. Create boards to show off your home. Make sure to stage your home first, or at least clean it up and make it look pretty so that people will want to re-pin your pics.

3. Get creative! Use Instagram, Photoshop or another photo-editing program to add filters or borders to your pictures before you pin them. You can also get creative with your boards—make a board showing your home all dressed up for the holidays, or create a board that showcases all the special memories you've had in your house.

4. Share your boards. Post your boards to your Facebook and Twitter pages, and tell your friends to repin your images. Check out our Home of the Week board, and find out how you could be featured next!

Have you ever used Pinterest to showcase your home? Tell us what type of pins got you the most notice.

How to Use Social Media to Sell Your Home: 4 Twitter Marketing Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Hennessey) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:01:00 +0000

Like Facebook, Twitter is free and super-easy to use, so it's the perfect site to use to give your listing more page views. In December 2012, the social networking site surpassed 200 million active monthly users, and it's ranked in the top 10 most-visited websites in the world; so, if you're on Twitter, your listing should be, too. Here are four basic tips to help you get the most out of your Twitter experience.

1. Make your listing re-tweetable. Click the "Tweet" icon on your ForSaleByOwner.com listing to share it with your Twitter followers. Feel free to edit the text that's automatically generated so that the tweet sounds more natural, and make sure to tag any friends who may be looking to buy (or who may know people looking to buy). You're only allowed 140 characters per tweet, though we recommend that you keep it even shorter so that people can retweet your message without having to cut any text.

2. Tweet photos. A 2012 Buddy Media study found that tweets with images get twice as much engagement as tweets without. While this cuts down your character count, it's nice to be able to provide people with a visual. Make sure to include the link to your listing. Since you might be low on available space within your tweet, use abbreviations to cut down on your character count. LendingTree.com has a great article on commonly used real estate abbreviations, so check it out if you need some help making your tweets shorter.

3. Use hashtags. Hashtags are searchable terms with a pound sign (#) placed before them to help Twitter categorize and make them more easily searchable. Hashtags like #FSBO, #forsalebyowner, #realestate and #homeforsale are common for by-owner sellers, so include one or more of them in your tweets to help buyers find your listing.

4. Talk about the process every day. Just think about how many minutes a day you spend on social media—why not spend a few of those minutes talking about your home? Twitter, especially, is a fast-paced story-telling medium, and people there snack on bite-sized pieces of news and glimpses into the lives of others. Unlike Facebook, where your newsfeed might show you a status update or photo that a friend posted several days ago, your Twitter post from yesterday (or even this morning) probably isn't still going to appear in your friends' newsfeeds when they log in. So, it's important to post about your listing every day, whether you're updating people about an open house or talking about new paint colors you're considering for the kitchen, to keep it fresh in your friends' minds (and fresh in front of their eyes).

Have any Twitter marketing tips to share with us? We'd love to hear them @ForSaleByOwner!

How to Use Social Media to Sell Your Home: 5 Facebook Marketing Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Hennessey) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:45:00 +0000

This week, we're in New York City for Social Media Week, and we wanted to share what we're learning with you so can use social media to sell your home. It's no surprise that social media websites like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest are quickly becoming some of the by-owner seller's best marketing tools: they're free, easy-to-use and fast to set-up. They're also great places to get a lot of eyes on your listing. As of December 2012, Facebook had more than 1 billion monthly active users. Now, we're not saying 1 billion people are going to see your home on Facebook, but your friends' friends might! So, to kick off our week of social media strategies, here are five Facebook tips you can use to market your home and get it sold quickly.

1. What's going on? Update your status! Post a link to your ForSaleByOwner.com listing on your timeline. Tell your friends to share the post on their walls and with their friends who are looking to buy. Use the Facebook "Share" button on the top of your listing page to get started. You can also post the Craigslist ad you created in your Selling Center to drive people to Craigslist.

2. Create a new photo album with pics of your pad. Upload as many photos as you want, and write a detailed caption for each one. Before you publish the album, use the album description to post a link to your listing. If you're comfortable letting anyone see your album, set you album privacy settings to "public." Ask your friends to share your album on their walls and with friends or neighbors who may be looking for a new home.

3. Upload a video tour to your Facebook page. Use your smartphone, iPad or video camera to take a video "tour" of your home. If you want, use a video editing program to add an intro or exit slide with your address and a link to your listing. (If you don’t have a camera, you can use photo or video editing software to turn your listing photos into a video.) You can also upload your video to YouTube, the second most-popular search engine, and post that URL to your Facebook page. Again, if you're comfortable sharing, make sure to set the privacy settings to "public," so it will be visible to anyone who's interested.

4. Splurge on a Facebook ad for your home. Even if you're connected to everyone in your company or in the PTA, Facebook doesn't allow all of your "friends" to automatically see your status updates. If you're willing and able to spend a bit more money in advertising, Facebook ads offer even more exposure. Your ads can take users directly to your listing page, and you can set any budget you like. Facebook allows you to choose if you'd like to be billed each time the ad shows or each time someone clicks through to your listing. You can turn one of your posts about your home into an ad for as little as $5.

5. Treat your Open House like the event it is. Create an Event on Facebook for your Open House, and invite everyone you know to invite everyone they know. You can include directions your home, attach your property flyer, see who's RSVP'd and send reminders.

And of course, if you post on our Facebook wall, we'll share your post with other fans.

Have a question about using Facebook to promote your home? Is there a great idea that should have made our list? Let us know!

4 Ways to Make Buyers Fall in Love with Your Home

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Hennessey) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 17:02:00 +0000

This Valentine's Day, it's time to celebrate more than just the power of cupid's arrow. We're toasting to these four marketing tips that will make buyers fall in love with your home and have you on your way to "sold" in no time.

1. Use Your Words.
Refresh your property's marketing materials every few months—including your property listing and description. The best property listings are short, simple and tell potential buyers what they want to hear. Make the most out of your property listing with these valuable marketing tips.

2. Make Your Listing Irresistible.
We've found that sellers who post more than six photos receive 35 percent more emails from potential home buyers. We offer packages with Unlimited Photos, so you can upload as many pictures of your home as you like!

3. Remember the Details.
As you gather your home-related receipts in anticipation of filing your tax return, make your life a little easier by copying any receipts, contracts, permits and the like that could be relevant to a buyer, inspector or appraiser. Visit the Disclosures and Closing section of our Education Center for articles about the documents you need.

4. Know Your Local Market.
Nothing helps a home sell faster than a fair-market price. Due to fluctuations in the real estate market, it is recommended that you reassess your asking price every 3-4 months. Our automated pricing report reflects immediate pricing trends, plus pulls data from public records and other local sources to provide you with a snapshot of the current market value of your home. Anyone can purchase a new report, or if you already have a listing on ForSaleByOwner.com, click on "View Pricing Report(s)" in your Selling Center.

Extra Tip: Don't Sell Yourself Short. From a higher sale price to the potential for monthly income, with the help of your financial adviser, real estate attorney, or a tax professional, you might discover some hidden advantages to seller financing for yourself. Ask these questions and get as much out of seller financing as your buyer.

In a way, selling a home is like online dating. When you see other homes for sale, what makes you take a closer look?

5 Most Popular Homes for Sale By Owner in January

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Hennessey) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 23:21:00 +0000

If you don't think that winter is a good time to put your home on the real estate market, you may want to think again. CNN Money reports that December 2012 saw near record-breaking drops in mortgage rates and foreclosures, which led to more houses being sold at higher prices. It was a great way to wrap up the year, making 2012's total number of homes sold the highest it's been in five years—and the forecast for 2013 home sales is even brighter.

Buyers are looking at listings! Here are the five most popular homes for sale by owner this month.

1. 269 East Ave, Harahan, LA 70123
Price: $174,500
Highlights: 3 beds, 1 bath, open floor plan, Jacuzzi

2. 25 Mossy Rock Cove, Little Rock, AR 72211
Price: $354,000
Highlights: 4 beds, 3.5 baths, workout room, outdoor patio and large backyard

3. 16591 Deer Run Road, Watertown, NY 13601
Price: $549,000
Highlights: 6 beds, 3.5 baths, industrial kitchen; updated, totally custom-built home on 10+ acres, with views of Lake Ontario

4. 133 Bertha St., Wausau, WI 54403
Price: $119,900
Highlights: 3 beds, 1 bath, custom kitchen, professionally landscaped backyard; near Lake Wausau

5. 4315 Emerald Garden Rd.,Conway, AR 72034
Price: $268,500
Highlights: 4 beds, 3.5 baths, open floor plan, outdoor pool

Which of these properties is your favorite?

5 Basics on Pricing Your Home to Sell

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Hennessey) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 23:28:00 +0000

Pricing your home to sell is the most important—and one of the hardest—steps you'll encounter in the selling process. To get you started, here are five basics to help you determine the best listing price for your home right from the start.

Know your high- and low-end goals. Be sure to build in some cushion for negotiating, but remember to be realistic. Nothing holds up a home sale more than an inflated price.

Factor in all the costs to selling your home. This includes agent fees, listing fees, loan payoffs and repair expenses.

Get a home pricing report, which will show recent and pending sale prices of other homes in your area. Use your pricing guide to further understand home values in your area.

Hire a professional appraisal. An accurate appraisal is key to pricing your home properly. 30% of deals are lost due to the home selling price being more than what the bank is willing to loan based on the appraisal.

If your house has undesirable characteristics that cannot be changed—say, the size of the yard or its location on a busy street—you will have to deduct 5-10% from the value it might have if those characteristics were favorable. Do additional research to see how much you must deduct to compel a buyer to overlook those drawbacks.

Download our pricing guide for more tips on how to make sure you price your home right from the start.

Have questions about how to price your pad? Ask us in the comments or on Facebook!

MLS: How FSBOs Use Real Estate Agents' Secret Weapon

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Hennessey) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 18:43:00 +0000

Thinking about selling your home by owner? You're not alone: According to the National Association of Realtors, more than 1 in 4 homeowners are selling without a traditional agent. Luckily, deciding to sell by owner doesn't mean you have to skimp on the marketing tools an agent would use to sell your home. One of their most successful secret weapons? The MLS.

"MLS" is the most powerful acronym in real estate lingo and stands for "multiple listing service." Every day, new listings enter regional MLS databases and flow to all subscribing real estate agents and services. MLS systems are the primary channel for publicizing listings among agents and brokerages.

In the past, MLS listings were an agent's "secret weapon," because only agents had exclusive access to the homes in their local database. These days, MLS listings are found across numerous websites, many that often add additional valuable data, such as the most recent homes sold in the neighborhood, taxes, nearby schools and area amenities.

With 90% of house hunters searching for homes online, and more than 80% of homes sold nationwide being listed on the MLS, it's no surprise that sellers want their homes on the MLS. Long gone are the days when you had to hire a local real estate agent to be listed on the MLS—now, you can sell by owner, save on commission and still get maximum exposure.

Instead of calling up an agent and promising to pay 6% of your property's sale price to put your home on the MLS, you can market your property to millions of buyers and real estate agents for six full months with ForSaleByOwner.com's flat-fee MLS Enhanced listing package. Plus, you get to pocket the listing agent's commission.

The beauty of selling by owner means that you control your listing. Marketing your home on the MLS through ForSaleByOwner.com means every real estate agent in your area will see it. You'll be contacted by buyer agents who want to show your home to their clients, but you decide whether or not you want to work with them. With your listing agent's commission out of the picture, only the buyer's agent is left to pay—typically between 2-3% of your home's final sale price. Of course, if a buyer contacts you through ForSaleByOwner.com, you won't have to pay a dime in commission.

Moral of this MLS story? For-sale-by-owner sellers can reach just as many house hunters as sellers using traditional agents. Check out ForSaleByOwner.com's MLS Enhanced Listing package to advertise your listing on your local MLS.

Questions? We've got answers! Ask us in the comments, or message us on Facebook.

4 Selling Strategies for the New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Hennessey) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 18:32:00 +0000

You don't have to wait for April showers and May flowers to list your home. Take advantage of the off-season in real estate, when a well-priced, well-marketed home is sure to stand out to motivated buyers. Here are four smart winter projects that can speed up the home-selling process and have you on your way to "sold!" before spring.

1. Think like a buyer. House hunters with resolutions to buy before spring are looking for homes now. To boost your listing's appeal, look at your home as a buyer would. Remember, this is a business transaction. Prepare yourself mentally to remain objective and professional, and stay focused on your goal!

2. Re-evaluate your price. Nothing holds up a home sale more than an inflated price tag. It's a good idea to reassess your asking price every 3–4 months. Read up on the local real estate market, and check out nearby homes that are for sale to see how your home compares. Still not sure? It may be time to hire a professional appraiser.

3. Get pre-inspected. With the economy still recovering, home buyers aren't walking around with a lot of cash for home repairs. Many sellers hire a home inspector during the closing process, but making repairs now could speed up negotiations and get you to closing faster.

4. Stay flexible. Be prepared to entertain all bids—even those you consider too low—and toss in some perks to get the deal done. Being open to negotiate on final price and closing costs will work to your advantage, especially if you're on a tight deadline.

Read more: 10 ways to attract buyers during the sluggish winter months

Tell us: Do you have any tips for selling in the winter? Tell us in the comments or on Facebook!

5 Great Gifts for New Homeowners

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Hennessey) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 17:43:00 +0000

Help deck the halls of your friend’s new home with one of these fantastic holiday gifts from $10 - $65.

1. Keeper of the Keys
Any new home buyer will appreciate a place to hang his or her new house keys to keep them from going missing. We like this bronze one from Bed Bath & Beyond, complete with a basket for mail storage and six hooks to help keep track of every family member’s car and house keys.

Wall Mounted Bronze Mail & Key Rack: from $9.99, BedBathAndBeyond.com

2. Chic Detector
Give the decorator who wishes she could hide her smoke detector a Chick-a-Dee. Shaped like a bird, this design has a symbolic meaning, as birds use their calls to warn one another of danger, and comes in white, black, blue, pink and green.

Chick-a-Dee Smoke Detector: from $65.12, Chick-a-Dee.eu

3. The Perfect Couple
When your friends or family finally close on a new house, bring them over a bottle of bubbly or wine to celebrate. They’ll especially appreciate the gift if it’s coupled with this automatic wine opener, which not only removes all types of corks, but also cuts through the foil, all in one smooth step. Because who has time to struggle with corks?

Automatic Wine Opener with Foil Cutter: from $39.99, Brookstone.com

4. Open Sesame
If you have a friend who likes to completely customize his living space, beat him to the punch with a set of unique door or cabinet knobs. We think Anthropologie has a selection that offers something for every style.

Knobs: from $2.95 - $42 each, depending on model, Anthropologie.com

5. Stay in the Zone
Perfect for the friend who’s just moved across the country—or further!—or simply wants to keep track of what time it is for their friends, family or co-workers in other parts of the world.

Karlsson Timezone Magnet Aluminum Wall Clock: from $63.78, Casa.com

Need more holiday gift ideas? 5 Great Gifts for the Home Sellers in Your Life

5 Great Gifts for the Home Sellers in Your Life

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Hennessey) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 17:07:00 +0000

Not sure what gift to give someone who's in the process of selling a home? Bring tidings of great joy to your favorite homeowners with these perfect presents that won't bust your holiday budget.

1. Bring a Little Luck
Superstitious or not, this beautiful hand-painted gold horseshoe will attract as much attention as good fortune. Whether it hangs upwards (to keep luck in), or downwards (so luck pours out into the home), this gift is sure bring positive energy and boost a seller's confidence.

"Little Luck" Horseshoe from $32: SuitorLife.com

2. Make a Moving Announcement
When your friends' or family members' home sells, they're going to need to let people know their new address. Gift them with an IOU now, and when they close on a new home, order personalized moving announcements for them from William Arthur.

Shop Invitations "Moving": from $.79 - $2.13 each, WilliamArthur.com

3. Lend a Helping Hand
If the successful home sellers are also new homeowners, give them the ultimate holiday gift this year—you, for the entire day. Let’s be honest, moving isn’t fun or particularly pleasant for anyone, but your friends will definitely appreciate an extra hand to help pack, move and celebrate their first night in a new place!

Volunteering for moving day: $0

4. Hire a Stager
For the seller whose house has been on the market for a while, a consultation from a home stager might be the best gift he or she has ever received. A stager will help the seller present a house in the best light, creating a more inviting environment for potential buyers.

Prices vary depending on length and intensity of consultation, find stagers in your area and check out their work: Houzz.com

5. Pick Up the Take-Out
Between showing, negotiating, closing and a myriad of other tasks to complete during the holidays, your loved ones will be too mentally and physically exhausted to cook dinner every night. Do them a solid by giving them a gift card to their favorite restaurant or to GrubHub, where they can order take-out from any restaurant in their area. With a gift card from Gift Rocket, you can suggest a place for them to use the money, or leave it up to them to decide.

Dollar amount of your choice: Giftrocket.com

Want more holiday gift ideas? 5 Great Gifts for New Homeowners

The 5 Best Tips for Moving in the Winter

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Hennessey) — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 16:40:00 +0000

Summer may be the most popular moving season, but this winter, homeowners and buyers are rushing to take advantage of record-low mortgage rates. Reuters reports that last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, loan requests for home purchases reached a new high for the year, while fixed 30-year mortgage rates dropped to an all-time low. For those who’ve managed to sell during the recovering market and are preparing to move during the winter, you’re in luck: We asked our friends at Moveboxer.com to share their checklist of the best tips for moving in the winter, so you'll be ready to move no matter how frightful the weather is outside.

There are definitely advantages to moving in the winter. Your move will likely be cheaper and easier to book, as fewer people relocate during this time. Plus, if you have kids, they won't have to wait months for their new school to start before they can make new friends. But sometimes, those upsides can seem trivial in the face of moving during the coldest time of the year. Luckily, we have some tips for you on how to brave a winter move and the unexpected, frosty complications that may arise.

Bookmark a Weather Website
In the days leading up to your relocation, make sure you're checking Weather.com or another credible weather website frequently. If you have a good idea of what the weather will be the day of your move, it will cut down on your stress level. Stay in communication with your moving company about the weather especially if the forecast threatens to pose a challenge.

Get Out the Shovels
If it's snowed recently, make sure to clear the pathways and sidewalks so the movers (or you, if you're doing your own move) will have easy access to your boxes. Keep items like a snow blower, shovel and salt easily-accessible, in case you need to redouble efforts to keep walkways clear on moving day.

Prepare Your Vehicle
As you're worrying about transporting all your belongings to a new home, the last thing you'll want to deal with is trouble with your car. So, make sure you have your car checked and winterized. This means having all fluids filled and keeping anti-freeze and other essentials on hand. Also, remember to keep your gas tank filled: It's easier for the gasoline in your tank to freeze if there's less of it, so watch that your gas level doesn't dip below a half tank when it gets really cold.

Make a List of Emergency Contacts
Keep a list of the numbers you'll need in case you run into any trouble on the road. This is especially necessary if you know ahead of time that you'll be traveling during inclement weather. Your emergency contacts should include numbers for highway patrol, roadside assistance and weather and highway condition reports.

Check the Utilities in Your New House
Having working heat will never be as important as it is that first night you spend in the new place. Double check that you have called the new utilities companies to take care of heat, electricity and water ahead of time.

Alyssa Howard is both a writer and the content manager for Moveboxer.com. Alyssa graduated from Northwestern University, a top-ranked journalism school, and has also written for Cincy Chic and TheLaw.TV. Her favorite part of moving is the first night spent in the new bed in a new house.

Hurricane Sandy: How to Help

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Hennessey) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 22:16:00 +0000

With much of the East Coast still reeling from Hurricane Sandy, we hope you, your friends and family are safe, warm and well.

Community is so important to us here at ForSaleByOwner, and we’ve been inspired by the cross-country effort to help the areas hardest hit by the hurricane. With that in mind, many people on our team have donated to The American Red Cross, which is doing amazing work mobilizing relief efforts. If you want to support those in need, visit the Red Cross or FEMA websites, which will show you how to give and where to volunteer.

We continue to keep those affected in our thoughts during this difficult time.

Making a Remodel a Reality

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Hennessey) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 21:23:00 +0000

Kitchen, before and after the remodel

Before and after shots of the bathroom

We love a good remodel, especially one as dramatic as this. Interior designer Bridgid Coulter took a 1953 single-story bungalow from dark and outdated to bright and modern, and the transformation is inspiring to say the least.

The goal of this remodel was to "create a modern, relaxed beach aesthetic that was compatible with the charming [Venice Beach] neighborhood" and to utilize sustainable design throughout the home. Updates included expanding the bathroom and living room, installing radiant heat, prepping the home for solar panals, installing hand-scraped bamboo flooring and adding additional windows to bring in more light.

If you're thinking of remodeling to make your house more appealing to buyers, your timing couldn't be better. A recovering housing market, combined with record low interest rates, means that not only are conditions better than they have been in years for homes on the market, but they're also ripe for homeowners (and sellers) looking to get the most value from their remodeling costs. We recommend checking out House Logic's "Cost vs. Value" tool, which will show you which projects give you the most bang for your buck.

Read on for more ways to keep remodeling costs (and frustration) down, and tell us in the comments which home improvement projects you think are the most valuable.

Have a great "been there, done that" remodeling story to share? We want to hear it! Tell us in the comments, or on our Facebook page, which improvement projects you've tackled around the house (and which ones you still need to get to!).

"Before" photos belong to Bridgid Coulter; "after" photos property of David Balk

Tell Us a Home Improvement Horror Story with a Happy Ending!

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Hennessey) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 19:17:00 +0000

We've all been there: You think you're starting a simple home improvement project, but then everything goes horribly wrong. Your DIY efforts to put together an entertainment center results in an unusable pile of wood. Your attempt to fix the kitchen sink causes a minor flood. Your impromptu efforts to install a new light fixture only add a new hole in your ceiling. Whatever the project, we want to know: What was your scariest home improvement project, and how did you fix it? Upload your story or before-and-after photos (or both!) to our Facebook wall, and we may include it on our blog and in a Facebook album. Thanks for sharing!